Case for a Display Device Displaying Digital Imaging

ABSTRACT

A display device system comprising a display screen, adapted to display digital content, a structural assembly, secured to the rear face of the display screen, configured to mount the display screen on a vertical surface, and a case for the display screen comprising a main body, one or more handles connected to the main body, and a locking mechanism, configured to releasably secure to the display screen. The main body is configured to couple and decouple from the display screen to provide structural rigidity during transportation, and is configured to surround at least the perimeter of the display screen. The rear side of said structural assembly comprises a recessed mounting mechanism configured to mate with a mounting device on a vertical surface, and the handles of the case are configured to position the display screen on the mounting device and be decoupled from the display screen thereafter.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNos. 61/800,681, filed Mar. 15, 2013, and 61/917,067, filed Dec. 17,2013, the disclosures and teachings of which are incorporated herein byreference. This application also claims priority to U.S. Design PatentApplication Nos. 29/469,599, 29/469,606, 29/469,621, 29/469,628,29/469,633, 29/469,638, and 29/469,645, all of which were filed on Oct.11, 2013, the disclosures and teachings of which are also allincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods fordisplaying digital art, decorations, posters, visual lifestyle, socialmedia, over-the-top, MSO, and other types of digital content on thinsleek display devices for use in a home, office, hotel, gallery, or anyother public or private location. The invention also provides systemsand methods for managing the display of such digital content, includingsystems and methods for the distribution, viewing, and control thereof.The invention also includes systems and methods for preserving,distributing, and protecting content through a suite of innovativetechnologies and processes.

BACKGROUND

Art and photography is used to decorate the walls of homes and publicplaces. Art comes in many styles and colors and tends to be created bypainting, drawing, placing, and/or printing colors, shapes, and/ordesigns on a medium, such as glass, canvas, wood, metal, film and/orpaper. Unlike digital displays, once an image is painted, printed, orcreated on a medium, that image is fixed. Thus, once installed on a wallof a home or public place, the image cannot be changed unless it isrepainted, reprinted, physically modified or moved in some way. Todisplay a new piece of art in the same place, the existing piece wouldneed to be taken down with the new piece installed in its place. This isdifficult when art is hung in large and possibly heavy frames, makingmovement, repositioning, or replacement of the same impractical. Thus,there is no means currently to change the pictures, posters, paintings,and photographs on the wall like one can change the songs on their iPodor change the program on their TV.

Additionally, there is no TV, computer, or mobile device, or system fordisplay, which allows a user to easily manipulate and interact with art,photography, decorations, posters, applications, social media, visuallifestyle media, over-the-top content, MSO content, and any other typesof content onto an internet cloud ecosystem powered elegant thin frameddisplay, where the user can self-adjust every element of the experience.

Televisions, computer monitors, and other digital display devices areadapted to present digital images, which can include images of artwork,photography, and other images. However, such devices are heavy,cumbersome, thick, difficult to install, hard to use and not flexiblewith regard to their orientation and interaction with digital content.Additionally, they generally have fixed orientations, include soundfunctions or capabilities, lack a fine frame, contain controls andbuttons, include power supplies, have on-board processors, and containmany additional features that prevent them from serving as thin displaysthat can present digital art or other visual and/or audio content in anelegant, unobtrusive, and refined manner. Furthermore, the televisions,computer monitors, and other digital display devices require directconnection to high voltage power making them difficult, expensive, andinflexible to use and install.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

To the Applicants' knowledge, there is no integrated means to change thepictures, posters, paintings, and photographs on the wall like one canchange the songs on ones iPod, and there is also no currently existingbroad database of digital art images available for subscription on suchan integrated platform. To the Applicants' knowledge, there is also noprior art system to provide a user the ability to easily manipulate andinteract with art, photography, decorations, posters, applications,social media, visual lifestyle media, over-the-top content, MSO content,and any other types of content onto an internet cloud ecosystem-poweredelegant thin framed display, where the user can self adjust everyelement of the experience. There is, therefore, a need for acomprehensive digital content system and experience to deliver digitalcontent for easy, convenient, and elegant consumption and display. Thereare also no current user interfaces in the art which allow a user tointeract with and control the display of digital imagery on a remotedisplay device for display of art, photography, decorations,applications, social media, posters, visual lifestyle, over-the-top,MSO, and any other types of content.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention discloses a display device system, comprising adisplay screen, adapted to display digital content, a structuralassembly, secured to the rear face of the display screen, and configuredto mount the display screen on a vertical surface, and a case for thedisplay screen comprising a main body, one or more handles connected tothe main body, and a locking mechanism, configured to releasably secureto the display screen. The main body is configured to couple anddecouple from the display screen to provide structural rigidity to thedisplay device during transportation, and is configured to surround atleast the perimeter of the display screen. The rear side of saidstructural assembly comprises a recessed mounting mechanism configuredto mate with a mounting device on a vertical surface, and the handles ofthe case are configured to position the display screen on the mountingdevice and be decoupled from the display screen once the display screenis located on the mounting device.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, methods and systems areprovided for delivering digital art, decorations, posters, visuallifestyle, social media, over-the-top, MSO, and other types of contentto a thin, elegant framed display. By creating an ecosystem ofground-breaking devices, enriched digital content, a natural andintuitive user experience, new social exchanges, and innovative purchaseoptions, the present invention is adapted to fundamentally change theexperience and enjoyment of art, posters, paintings, photographs, video,and apps and provide a new manifestation of how digital content isenjoyed.

In preferred embodiments, the invention includes a display device forartwork or the like—including a lightweight digital display with a thinand sleek design, an application (“APP”), which is a program thatenables management of digital content displayed on the Display Devicesof the present invention, and an associated Internet Service Cloud,which provides access to digital content displayable on these DisplayDevices.

Display devices disclosed by the present invention preferably range insize from hand-held to potentially over 60″ displays. Preferably, thecharacteristics of a display device include an ultra-thin (preferablyless than 13 mm) minimalistic design with a nearly invisible front bezeland border; an external power supply; ultra thin or small diameterwiring between external power supply and display assembly; a built-indisplay processor with wireless connection to the Internet ServiceCloud; an optional external decorative frame attaching to the device toreplicate the aesthetics of a traditional painting; optional digitalframes and/or digital matting rendered by a graphics engine embedded inthe system of the present invention; and audio-over-WiFi, Bluetooth,Near Field Communication (NFC), or iBeacon, which allows the device tostream audio to an external audio system. Preferably, embodiments of theDisplay Device of the present invention comprise no embedded userinterface so that all controls occur through a connection to the Appand/or the Internet Service Cloud. Additionally, embodiments of theDisplay Device of the present invention preferably comprises an externaldetachable structure to facilitate shipping, handling, and installationof the device, and a mounting and installation system allowing verticalor horizontal installation of the unit and leaving preferably a lessthan 2 mm gap between the mounting surface and display unit which alsopreferably has the ability to alter its orientation automaticallydepending on the characteristics of the displayed content.

The App is a highly intuitive native software application for a mobileplatform such as IOS, Android, Windows and others which preferablymanages and controls all aspects of the display devices and allows usersto access resources on the Internet Service Cloud. The Internet ServiceCloud provides a digital media content ingestion engine and managementsystem to validate, normalize, adapt, protect, and manage rights, and toenforce standards for unique digital content, including still images,motion images, interactive images, app images, and user private content,all of which is adapted to be displayed on the display devices disclosedby the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an overview of the present invention, a system fordistributing, viewing, and controlling digital art and other digitalvisual and/or audio content;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the various physical assemblycomponents of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the display device and displayassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of the wall mounting bracket of thepresent invention, adapted to mount the display device and displayassembly of the present invention on a vertical surface;

FIG. 4B illustrates the process of mounting a display device and displayassembly of the present invention to the wall mounting bracket seen inFIG. 4A on a vertical surface;

FIG. 4C discloses the adjustability of a display device of the presentinvention, when hung on a vertical surface, in a landscape or portraitconfiguration, to various degrees of freedom;

FIG. 4D illustrates the rear surface of the display device seen in FIGS.4B and 4C and showing the external processor and electronics secured tothe rear thereof;

FIG. 5A depicts the power system for controlling a display device ofpresent invention;

FIG. 5B depicts the LED backlighting power distribution of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a digitally-rendered graphicsframe and mat of the present invention, adapted to be incorporated an inembodiment of a display device of the present invention;

FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment of the first level content storage securityand protection system of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts an embodiment of the exoskeleton packaging of the presentinvention used for shipping and installation of a display device of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of a physical decorative framedesigned to hold the display device embodiment of the present inventionas opposed to use of a digital frame;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a frame designed for a displaydevice of the present invention and more specifically for use with amobile device;

FIG. 11 illustrates an installation process of a display device with theService Cloud of the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a block diagram illustrating the general architecture andkey components of the Service Cloud of the present invention;

FIG. 12B is a block diagram illustrating the components of the ServiceCloud of the present invention;

FIG. 13A is a first portion of a block diagram of the detailedarchitecture of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 13B is a second portion of a block diagram of the detailedarchitecture of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 13C is a third portion of a block diagram of the detailedarchitecture of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 14 discloses the internet cloud storage disclosed by the presentinvention;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart depicting the ingestion workflow of still imagesand motion images to the Service Cloud storage presented by the presentinvention;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart depicting the creation and storage of interactiveand app driven images in the Service Cloud presented by the presentinvention;

FIG. 17 depicts the means for stronger secure—i.e., a higher levelprotection than first level content storage security and protectionsystem depicted in FIG. 7—storage of information disclosed by thepresent invention by means of dissecting content therein;

FIG. 18 is a depiction of the secure process disclosed by the presentinvention for the re-assembly of securely stored information which wasencrypted and separated in the process depicted in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a depiction of the on-premise computing and storage systemutilized for a digital art exhibit and display of other visual and/oraudio content for commercial purpose disclosed by the present invention;

FIG. 20 discloses the audio streaming system of the present invention toan external audio system;

FIG. 21A is a front perspective view of the player of digital art,decorations, posters, visual lifestyle, social media, over-the-top, MSO,and other types of content associated with the present invention;

FIG. 21B is a rear perspective view of the player of digital art,decorations, posters, visual lifestyle, social media, over-the-top, MSO,and other types of content seen in FIG. 21A;

FIG. 22 discloses the social distribution system of personal user mediacontent presented by embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 23 discloses the installation procedure of a display device of thepresent invention utilizing the client application on a mobile device tovisualize a room and simulate the desired placement of the displaydevice;

FIG. 24 is an exploded view of the Display Assembly of the presentinvention seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of a display device of the presentinvention simultaneously displaying three separate imagessimultaneously, each being displayed in full 16:9 aspect ratio;

FIG. 26A discloses a display stand configured to secure to the displaydevice of the present invention for display thereof in a horizontalconfiguration;

FIG. 26B discloses the display stand seen in FIG. 26A configured tosecure to the display device of the present invention for displaythereof in a vertical configuration; and

FIG. 27 is a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of aback plate of the present invention configured to secure to the displaydevice of the present invention for display thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Description will now be given of the invention with reference to theattached FIGS. 1-27. Other and further features and advantages of thepresent invention will be apparent from the following descriptions ofthe various embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art thatthe following embodiments are provided for illustrative and exemplarypurposes only and that numerous combinations of the elements of thevarious embodiments of the present invention are possible. Preferredembodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example,and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanyingdrawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of the present invention system, whichincludes a Display Device 105 or 106 which is configured to storecontent for digital display, manage display functions, and interact witha Client Control 107 running a Client Application 108 through theService Cloud (“VSC”) 101 over the Internet 102. The Client Application(“App”) 108 allows users to manage the content they display orapplications they execute on the Display Device 105 or 106 of thepresent invention, including by purchasing content to own, uploadinguser-created content, or, through various tiered subscriptions,accessing a rental library of digital images, which allows users toobtain digital posters, art, sports, entertainment, ambiance, travel,and other content for display. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the presentinvention system is configured to be set up in a home environment,although use of the present invention in other public or commercialvenues is also envisioned. The Service Cloud 101 communicates throughthe Internet 102 with Client Control 107. The Client Control 107 hasinstalled on it App 108 to manage digital content displayed on theDisplay Devices 105 and 106 and perform other account managementfunctions.

An Environment 100, such as the home environment depicted in FIG. 1, mayinclude one or several Display Devices 105 and 106. For ease ofreference, only a single Display Device 105 will be referred tothroughout, though in every environment and embodiment of the presentinvention, the use of multiple Display Devices is envisioned. EachDisplay Device 105 is preferably in wireless communication with ClientControl 107, and is configured to display the same or different digitalcontent as other Display Devices in the Environment 100. Each DisplayDevice 105 in the Environment 100 may be mounted on a wall in either avertical or horizontal configuration. Additionally, as will be describedin detail later, the orientation of each Display Device 105 is adaptedto change, whether manually or automatically, through input from the App108 on the Client Control 107 depending on the characteristics of thedigital content displayed on the Display Device.

The devices disclosed by the present invention can ideally be installedin any environment such as a home, office, vehicle, or public venue,connected to the Internet, and linked to an on-line account managedthrough the Client Application 108 and the Service Cloud 101. Users havethe ability to purchase or subscribe to digital art, decorations,posters, visual lifestyle, social media, over-the-top (delivery of videocontent without an MSO being involved, i.e., Netflix, Hulu, etc.),multiple system operator (“MSO”), and other types of content, as well asspecially designed apps to interact with media content displayed on theDisplay Devices 105, or subscribe to external apps that make contentreactive to external stimuli. While the Display Devices 105 and App 108of the present invention are designed for the control and display ofnumerous categories of digital content, including digital art,decorations, posters, visual lifestyle, social media, over-the-top, MSO,and other types of content, for ease of description, the digital contentwill hereinafter be collectively referred to as “digital visualcontent.” This in no way limits the scope of the content available andapplicable for the present invention.

The Display

A preferred element of the present invention is a portfolio ofaesthetically designed Display Devices 105 and an overall Display System200. It is an object of these devices to render digital art as well asdynamic data-driven visuals and graphics with or without audio, in themost compelling way possible to enhance the ambiance of homes, offices,and public areas and create new ways to consume visual and/or audiocontent and data of all types. The present invention thereby creates anew digital display product category, which is distinct from existing TVflat displays, computer monitors, and digital frames, by virtue of itsunique form factor and holistic user experience, unique wall mountingdesign installation and procedure and optimized performance for displayof a broad range of digital media types extending beyond traditional TVentertainment programming to include all forms of digital content,including digital art.

The Display Device 105 uses a different architecture than traditionalflat TV or computer monitor devices. All heavy and bulky electronicscomponents, including power and audio subsystems, are removed from theDisplay Device 105 itself and its Display Assembly 201 and replaced withexternal components or packaged in one or more lightweight circuitboards to make the actual Display Assembly lighter, thinner, and easierto handle and to install. In place of an audio sub-system, the DisplayDevice 105 uses digital wireless audio streaming to a compatibleexternal third party audio system. Embodiments of the present inventionincorporate a powerful processor to manage sophisticated functions suchas content self-healing or auto-color calibration to ensure a consistentviewing experience across all devices. Embodiments of the presentinvention system preferably incorporate WiFi wireless capabilities toconnect to local peripheral devices or the Service Cloud 101 through theInternet. WiFi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), and iBeaconconnectivity can also be used to fully integrate into a “connected” homeenvironment where a Display Device 105 can become an intelligent nodecapable of controlling or reacting to other remotely connected devicessuch as motion or proximity sensors, home controller, or other DisplayDevices. The underlying design of the Display Device 105 is modular tominimize re-design efforts when new technologies or display sizes areintroduced.

Components

As can be seen in FIG. 2, embodiments of the present invention devicepreferably comprise several components: a Display Assembly 201, a WallMount 206, a Connection Cord 204, a Power Brick 205, an Exoskeleton 202,and an Installation Template and Tools 203, and other optionalcomponents such as a Decorative Frame 207 or an Auto-Rotation Accessory208. More detail about each component of the present invention follows.

The Display Assembly 201 comprises a Display Device 105 which isdesigned as a bare display system without any user interface or audio.It preferably incorporates an invisible linear touch interface locatedon side of the device and a pin-hole reset button that is recessed inthe frame. It preferably receives power from the Power Brick 205 throughthe Connection Cord 204 and can be attached to a vertical surface withthe Wall Mount Bracket 206. The Exoskeleton 202 protects the DisplayDevice 105 during shipping and handling and facilitates installation.The Display Devices preferably use a display surface with a rectangularaspect ratio, and diagonal sizes preferably ranging from 20″ to 60″.Customized Display Devices 105 in sizes larger than 60″ ornon-rectangular shapes are also envisioned.

The Display Device 105 is preferably designed in a modular way to adaptto various display technologies 201A, including plasma, LCD with edgeLED Backlighting or OLED. Graphene display technologies are alsoenvisioned. These display technologies are preferably selected to handleFullHD (1080p), UHD, and 4K, 8K, or higher display resolutions at up to480 or more frames per second, and preferably deliver the lightest andthinnest display assembly and meet target production cost whileproviding a uniform brightness in excess of 450NITS and the sharpestcontrast and deepest black possible. The Display Device 105 preferablyalso incorporates a brightness sensor 201B to automatically adjustbrightness, contrast and color saturation to most lighting conditionsand a white and black auto-calibration mechanism to ensure a consistentviewing experience across all displays and most viewing conditions.

The preferred embodiment of the Display Device 105 of the presentinvention preferably has a very thin front bezel that is nearlyinvisible to enhance the overall aesthetic of the Display Assembly 201and maximize display surface. The effective border of the display, i.e.,the distance from edge of active display area to the outside edge of thebezel, is preferably less than 15 mm. The Display Assembly 201 issecured to the rear side of the Display Device 105 and is adapted tosecure to a Wall Mount Bracket 206 for hanging of the same. The DisplayAssembly 201 may also incorporate an attachment mechanism 201C allowingthe Display Device 105 to attach to a physical Decorative Frame 207. Therear face of the Display Assembly 201 can be partially open to furtherreduce weight and facilitate heat dissipation and incorporates arecessed mounting mechanism for easy attachment to the Wall MountBracket 206 and connection to the Connection Cord 204. Unlike standarddisplay devices such as TVs and Monitors, the Display Device 105 caneasily be attached to a near-vertical surface either with the Wall MountBracket 206, a free rotation accessory, or the Auto-Rotation Accessory208. Hence, its mechanical structure preferably provides the bareminimum structural rigidity required to maintain the Display Device 105on a vertical surface while reducing the overall weight as much aspossible.

FIG. 3 is a depiction of the back cover of the Display Assembly 201. Theback cover 301 preferably (1) prevents excessive structural torsion andbending while the Display Device 105 is attached to the Wall MountBracket 206, and (2) acts as a contact radiator to distribute anddissipate excessive heat generated by the iC-DPC 500, which will bedescribed in detail later, and backlighting LED arrays. Back cover 301is preferably a generally flat surface with a very small space gap,preferably of approximately only a few millimeters, between any part theback cover and the mounting surface except for the middle section wherethe Wall Mount Bracket 206 can be inserted into the back cover 301. Theback cover 301 preferably incorporates cross corrugations 303 to improvestructural rigidity of the overall display assembly without increasingits overall thickness or weight. The back cover 301 is opened to allowthe iC-DPC module cover 2408 to be inserted to complete the back surfaceof the Display Assembly 201. The iC-DPC module cover 2408 is preferablysnapped in place through a mechanism to facilitate thermal conductivityacross the entire back surface of the Display Assembly 201. The iC-DPCmodule cover 2408 is shaped, and incorporates contact thermal pads 304,to create a thermally conductive mechanical interface with the hotcomponents of the iC-DPC 500 modules to distribute and dissipate theheat load across the entire back cover surface area. The iC-DPC modulecover 2408 also acts as an additional EMI shield. The middle section 305of the back cover is recessed to allow the Wall Mount Bracket 206 to beinserted into the back cover with minimum space gap between the backcover and the mounting surface. The iC-DPC 500 electronics moduleshoused in the iC-DPC module cover 2408 are preferably positioned on theperiphery of the back cover away from edge backlighting LEDs 302 to freethe recessed middle section. Power connectors 306 are preferably locatedon the edge of the recessed part of the back cover for wired connectionto the Power Brick 205 by means of the Connection Cord 204. In oneembodiment of the present invention, the Connection Cord 204 isconfigured to attach from Power Brick 205 directly to a Display Device105 or Display Assembly 201. In another embodiment of the presentinvention, Connection Cord 204 is configured to attach from Power Brick205 to Wall Mount Bracket 206, which in turn in connected to DisplayDevice 105.

FIGS. 4A-C depict the Wall Mount Bracket 206 and the process of matingthe same to the back cover 301 of the Display Assembly 201. FIGS. 4A-Cdepict the Wall Mount Bracket 206 itself. The bracket can be anchored toa vertical mounting surface either using the screw holes 402 andprovided screws or using a double-sided stick pad 403, as seen in FIG.4A, depending on the type of mounting surface. The adhesive stripsprovided with the device preferably adhere to most surfaces and can beremoved without damaging the surface. The Wall Mount Bracket 206 ispreferably circular to facilitate installation of device in vertical orhorizontal orientations and to hold a Display Device 105 on a wall andmaintain the same, despite the lack of structural rigidity provided bythe Display Assembly 201.

The Wall Mount Bracket 206 is a unique mechanical assembly thatpreferably maintains the Display Device 105 on a vertical mountingsurface made preferably of standard construction materials includingdrywall, painted wood, metal, cement, brick or cinder blocks, preferablywith a gap less than 2 mm between the mounting surface and the back ofthe Display Assembly 201. The structure of Wall Mount Bracket 206preferably allows a device mounted in a horizontal or verticalorientation to change from one orientation to another without having toreinstall or modify the Wall Mount Bracket 206. The Wall Mount Bracket206 is also designed to act as an intermediary between the ConnectorCord 204 and the Display Device 105 through use of thin power connectorsthat close the power circuit when the Display Assembly 201 is installedin the Wall Mount Bracket. Thin silicon pads are preferably installed atthe corners of the Display Assembly 201 to create a slight frictionagainst the mounting surface to maintain the display orientation andprevent the Display Assembly from moving unintentionally. Contrary tostandard flat TV wall installation procedures that require screwing apotentially large, heavy, visually unappealing mounting surface orequivalent structure into a wall, the installation of a Display Device105 preferably does not require many—if any—tools, does not create anypermanent damage to a wall, and can preferably be accomplished in lessthan 10 minutes by a single average person using the adhesive tape.

The top end 405 of the bracket is shaped as a wide U to make room forthe mating connector 406 that delivers power to a correspondingconnector 306 embedded in the back cover of Display Assembly 201. Thebracket mating connector 406 has a wider opening 407 to facilitatealignment of the connector during the installation process and providesome rotation freedom 404 for level adjustments. An outward “wing” 408is located on each side of the U-shape to guide the mating connection ofrecessed part of the back cover 301 of the Display Assembly 201 into theright position in case the mounting surface is slightly depressedrelative to the surrounding surface. This mating process can be seen inFIG. 4B. Finally two silicon pads 409 are preferably located in thelower part of the bracket to prevent vibration of the Display Assembly201 by applying a slight pressure to the back cover 301 of the DisplayAssembly 201.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the Auto-Rotation Accessory208 can be an independent structure which replaces Wall Mount Bracket206. In another embodiment, Auto-Rotation Accessory 208 can be acomponent which attaches to Wall Mount Bracket 206 already secured to avertical wall. The Auto-Rotation Accessory 208 preferably allows freerotation of full 90° from vertical to horizontal and vice-versa so thata Display Device may be viewed horizontally or vertically. In thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, the Auto-RotationAccessory 208 also comprises a micro-controller connected to the iC-DPC500 of the Display Assembly 201 for precise calibration, alignment andcontrol through VSC 101. This preferably enables the Auto-RotationAccessory 208 to automatically shift 90° in direction—from vertical tohorizontal (portrait to landscape configuration), orvice-versa—depending on the image to be displayed on the Display Device105. That is, the Auto-Rotation Accessory 208 is preferably configuredto rotate a Display Device 105 based on the desired viewing content.Through the process of mounting the Wall Mount Bracket 206 to the wallto ensure perfect alignment of one side of Display Device 105 with thefloor, ceiling, or door or window frame. Thus, the Auto-RotationAccessory 208 is preferably adapted to rotate a Display Device 105 aperfect 90° to ensure that the Display Device 105 is always perfectlyaligned. The Auto-Rotation Accessory 208 preferably incorporates amicro-controller for precise calibration, alignment and control throughVSC 101.

The Connection Cord 204 is a wiring system that carries power from thePower Brick 205 to the Display Device 105. The Connection Cord 204allows for installation of the Power Brick 205 at a distance, preferablyup to 10 meters, from the vertical axis of the Wall Mount Bracket 206.All types of Connection Cords 204 share a common connector preferablyproviding an easy-to-use yet robust connection to the Wall Mount Bracket206 and the Power Brick 205. The Connector Cord 204 preferably meetssafety regulations for transport of preferably less than 30V DC power atless than 6 A over a distance of 100 m, securely connects to the WallMount Bracket 206, and preferably allows for less than 2 mm gap betweenthe mounting surface and the back of the Display Device 105. Further,the Connector Cord 204 is preferably assembled with the Wall MountBracket 206 with one degree of freedom away from the wall and towards auser to allow for some flexibility when the Display Device 105 is matedwith the Connection Cord 204. The actual visible part of the wirepreferably enhances the iconic look of the device while addressingpractical installation requirements.

A first type of Connector Cord 204 is a thin, minimally visible wirethat lies flat against the mounting surface to minimize visible crosssection. It is preferably made of two conductors protected by siliconinsulation of various colors. A second type of Connector Cord 204 iswide and flat wire that can be secured to a wall and “disappear” under acoat of paint. Once installed, the wire can be maintained in place witha cleat 209 that is either attached to the wall with pre-installedsticking tape or simply that maintains vertical alignment by gravity.The cleat 209 preferably has a solid grip on the wire without damagingit and provides a clean pivot to turn the wire from vertical orientation(from the Wall Mount Bracket 206) to horizontal orientation (to thePower Brick 205) while maintaining a straight line along both axes.Alternately, this thin wire can be installed in a shallow groove on themounting surface and covered with plaster and painted over to make itcompletely invisible. A second type of Connector Cord 204 is a thin flatcable that is glued or taped to the mounting surface and can be paintedover to camouflage the same on a wall. This wire can be folded to aright angle at the base of the mounting surface to connect to a PowerBrick 205 that is anchored to the mounting surface at the base of thewall. A third type of Connector Cord 204 preferably runs in the wallfrom the Wall Mount Bracket 206 to an exit cleat that connects to a thinwire connected to the Power Brick 205.

The Power Brick 205 provides DC power to the Display Device 105 throughthe Wall Mount Bracket 206 and the Connector Cord 204. The Power Brick205 preferably comprises a power supply, a power cord, a statusindicator and an enclosure. The power supply transforms sector AC powerinto DC power that is required to run the Display Device 105. The powersupply is rated to provide up to 30V at 6 A. The power cord connects thepower support to a regular residential or commercial power outletthrough a replaceable connector that can be adapted to local poweroutlet regulation. The status indicator is a simple LED that providespower ON/OFF status. The enclosure preferably contributes to the iconicsignature of embodiments of the present invention and facilitatesinstallation in multiple positions, including flat on the ground, leanedagainst a wall or baseboard, or anchored to a wall.

Alternatively to the Wall Mount Bracket 206 and Rotation Accessories, aDisplay Device 105 could be installed using a display stand 2601 asshown in FIGS. 26A & 26B. The stand 2601 is designed to attach to theside of the Display Device 105 to hold it straight up on top of ahorizontal surface. This optional stand is preferably available indifferent heights to accommodate the short or long edge of the differentsizes of Display Devices 105. The stand is designed to let the DisplayDevice 105 sit directly on the horizontal surface and to mate flush withthe edge of a Display Device with approximately the same thickness asthe display assembly. The stand 2601 can be attached to the DisplayDevice with either adhesive tape or screws, and can hold the DisplayDevice 105 in a horizontal or vertical (landscape or portrait)configuration. The design of the stand preferably includes a separatepower adapter that can be mated with the power connectors 306 of theDisplay Device 105 to complete the power circuit. The connection cord ofthis power adapter can be routed at the base of the display and attachedto the base of the stand. In an alternate design, a power connector isadded to the side frame of the Display Device 105, with a correspondingconnector built into the stand and power wire running in the standcoming out at the base. The stand 2601 is preferably made of brushedaluminum but can also be made of other materials such as other metals,acrylic or wood. The display stand 2601 is configured to hold a DisplayDevice in either a vertical or horizontal configuration, and a singledisplay stand 2601 is configured to hold a Display Device in bothconfigurations depending on the user's desire for configuration of theDisplay Device 105.

As another alternative to the Wall Mount Bracket 206, RotationAccessories or the stand 2601, a Display Device 105 could be displayedfree standing—i.e., not secured to a vertical surface or a stand—using aback-plate accessory 2701, as shown in FIG. 27. The back-plate accessory2701 is designed to re-enforce the structural rigidity of the DisplayDevice 105 for leaning the Display Device 105 against a wall, use theDisplay Device 105 in a free standing situation where the Wall Mountbracket 206 or rotation device is not used or use with a standard VESAwall mount. The back-plate 2701 is designed to mate with the DisplayDevice 105 using its recessed back cover attachment mechanism 305 andlock in place. Pads are preferably used to create a slight pressurebetween the back-cover 301 of the Display Device 105 and the back-plate2701 to prevent any rattle or vibration in any potential free spacebetween the back-cover 301 and the back-plate 2701. It incorporatespower connectors to mate with the corresponding power connectors of theDisplay Device 306 as well as a connection interface with the ConnectionCord 204. The back-plate 2701 preferably covers the entire area of, andmarries flush with, the back cover 301 of the Display Device 105. Itsattachment to the Display Device 105 is designed to maximize heattransfer to further increase distribution and dissipation of the heatgenerated by the active components of the Display Device 105. The backplate 2701 is configured to hold a Display Device in either a verticalor horizontal configuration, and a single back plate 2701 is configuredto hold a Display Device in both configurations depending on the user'sdesire for configuration of the Display Device 105.

The preferred Display Assembly 201 of the present invention, no matterthe size, preferably has a maximum and uniform thickness (depth) of 13mm across the entire surface of the display assembly including itsedges. This ultra-thin form factor is obtained through one or more of(1) minimizing of the mechanical structure, (2) design of electronicscomponents to create ultra-thin profile electronics modules, (3)minimizing of the optical stack sub-assembly, (4) design of anultra-thin power connector, and (5) design of the back-lightingsub-assembly. The mechanical structure of the Display Assembly 201reduces weight and thickness to a minimum by allowing for greater bendand torsion of the Display Assembly 201 when it is not mated to itsexoskeleton 202, secured to Wall Mount Bracket 206, mated to the stand2601, or mated with the back plate 2701. The design preferably uses athin aluminum frame and rear cover that work jointly with othercomponents to create the minimum structural strength required to allowthe Display Assembly 201 to remain in a flat plane when securelyattached to its Wall Mount Bracket 206.

The electronics sub-assembly, generally referred to as the DisplayProcessing Controller (iC-DPC) 500, is designed, preferably to a maximumof 4.5 mm in profile (height) and located on the edge of the display, tofacilitate heat management and placement of the recessed Wall MountBracket 206 receiving end in the middle of the back cover 301. Thethickness of the optical stack sub-assembly made of the TFT glass panel,filters and films, diffuser, light guide plane and reflector was reducedby minimizing the air gap between the layers and thickness of the lightguide plane. The reduction of air gap thickness was compensated withimproved (passive) airflow. An ultra-thin power connector preferablyallows the Display Assembly 201 to mate with the power source attachedto the Wall Mount Bracket 206. The shape of each connector is such thatit allows for rotation freedom of approximately +/−5 degrees withoutlosing power connection. A single or dual edge backlighting solutionwith high efficiency LED arrays is preferably used to match the reducedthickness of the light guide plane while delivering a uniform brightnessin excess of 450 NITS across the entire active display surface. Edge LEDarrays 302 are preferably mounted on L-shape brackets to simplify themechanical design and facilitate assembly, increase heat distribution,and contribute to the overall structural rigidity of the DisplayAssembly 201. Finally, the Display Assembly 201 is mostly assembledusing high strength adhesive tape to facilitate mechanical assembly andfurther reduce thickness and weight.

The Display Assembly 201 preferably incorporates a touch strip 201D onone or more sides of the display. These touch strips 201D preferablyblend with the material of frame to make them invisible, and they aretouch-sensitive to allow for linear analog control of various functionsof the device. By moving a finger along the touch sensitive strip ortapping, a user can adjust display parameters or interact withInteractive or App Images.

As depicted in FIGS. 4D and 5A, the Display Device 105 preferablyincorporates a powerful dedicated processing module and electronicssub-system called Display Processing Controller (iC-DPC) assembly 500which is configured to control the display of images on the DisplayDevice 105 through a processor connected to the display screen of theDisplay Device 105. The iC-DPC assembly 500 preferably comprises threemain components: a Display Processor 510, a Time Controller (T-CON) 520,and a Power Distribution and Adaptation module 502. The iC-DPC assembly500 controls all functions of the present invention and communicateswith the Service Cloud 101. The main component of the iC-DPC DisplayProcessor 510 is preferably based on a multi-core high clock speed ARM®Cortex™-A9 architecture that incorporates a crypto-core, hardware videodecoder and a fast I/O sub-system. The crypto-core is used to encryptmedia content files for onboard storage and real-time de-encryption whenneeded. The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 is preferably configured with aminimum of 1 GB of DDR3 or other types of fast random access memory thatcan be increased to 64 GB and two or more SD-RAM slots for a minimumonboard storage of 8 GB. The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 alsopreferably includes a number of standard Ethernet, USB and I/O ports, anonboard orientation sensor (to detect horizontal or verticalorientation), and WiFi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), andiBeacon wireless interfaces and connectors that can be populated toachieve various I/O configurations. The design of the iC-DPC DisplayProcessor 510 preferably ensures that the entire decoded video path isphysically and mechanically protected. Specifically, the length of thetraces is kept to preferably less than 1 mm and a cover is glued on topof LVDS connectors to prevent probing the raw video signal driving theTFT panel. The entire iC-DPC Display Processor module preferablyachieves the lowest profile possible by selecting low profile componentsstarting with the main processor which is preferably less than 2 mm,using a variable layers PCB design and placing all components on thesame side of the PCB, including fast random access memory modules (e.g.,DDR3). T-CON 520 preferably receives Low Voltage Differential Signal(LVDS) video signal and power over one or two flat ribbons from theiC-DPC Display Processor 510 depending of frame rate. It connects theLVDS to the TTL electronics and drives the TFT panel 521 over a nativeinterface to an electronic module commonly called “Source PCB.”

As can be seen in FIG. 24, the Display Assembly 201 is preferably madeof a front frame 2401, a TFT panel 2402, a series of optical films andfilters 2404 (polarizing filters and image and color enhancers) held inplace with a Guide Panel 2403, the backlighting subsystem, the backcover 2410 and the iC-DPC assembly 500 contained in the iC-DPC modulecover 2408. The front frame 2401 is designed to provide minimum frontbezel width to cover the inactive area at the edge of the glass andcontribute to overall structural rigidity. The optical films and filters2404 are made of thin polarizing filters, image and color enhancers anddiffuser plane that are layered to enhance brightness, contrast, color,and image resolution and ensure maximum uniformity of image and motionquality. The backlighting unit is preferably made of a single or dualedge array of LEDs and a heat sink 302, a specially designed light guideplane 2405 of preferably less than 3 mm to match the actual size of theLEDs 302, and a back reflector 2406. The brightness of the LEDs 302 iscontrolled by the LED driver 509 (part of the power sub-system) whichis, in turn, controlled by the iC-DPC Display Controller 510. The lightemitted by the LEDs 302 propagates through the Light Guide Plane 2405.The iC-DPC assembly 500 is pre-assembled in the iC-DPC module cover 2408that snaps in the back cover 201 to complete the assembly. The iC-DPCmodule cover 2408 and the iC-DPC electronics assembly 500 are designedto be used with all Display Assembly 201 sizes to facilitate assemblyand reduce production complexity and costs.

The Power sub-system preferably includes three main active components:(1) Power Brick 205, (2) Power Adaptation and Distribution Module 502and (3) LED Driver 509. The Power Brick 205 is a universal power supplyrated for 150 W to support Display Device sizes up to 60″ with anefficiency rating of 85% and safety margin of 15%. It accepts standardresidential AC 504 ranging from 110V to 220V at 50 Hz to 60 Hz and feeds24 VDC at up to 6 A to the Power Adaptation and Distribution Module 502located in the Display Assembly 201 through the Connection Cord 204.Although several types of Connection Cord 204 are envisioned, thepreferred wire is made of a very thin (2.2 mm) and flexible 20 AWG(copper) two-conductor flexible wire covered with silicon material. ThisConnection Cord 204 is very malleable and does not retain anydeformation to ensure near perfect vertical alignment when properlyinstalled. The Power Adaptation and Distribution Module 502 uses aseries of DC/DC step-down elements to provide 5 VDC and 12 VDC rails 505to the iC-DPC Display Processor 510, and a 24 VDC rail 507 to the LEDDriver module 510. The Display Processor 510 sends 12 VDC 506 to theTime-Controller (T-CON) 520 and TFT IC Driver 521 modules. The PowerAdaptation and Distribution Module 502 preferably uses electronicscomponents that offer the lowest z-axis (thickness of) profile possibleand still offer proper critical de-rating to ensure product quality andlongevity. Capacitors are selected for de-rated voltage, inductors,diodes and FETs are de-rated for current, and preferable valuespreferably depend of the size of the display and design of backlighting.

FIG. 5B is a block diagram of the iC-DPC LED Driver 509. The LED Drivermodule 510 receives 24 VDC 507 from the Power Adaptation andDistribution Module 502 and provides adapted power 511 to LED arrays 512to drive proper lumen level for the LED Backlighting 522 sub-system. TheLED Driver module 510 preferably drives up to 200 mAmps per LED string513 and achieves the lowest z-axis profile possible while offeringproper critical de-rating to ensure product quality and longevity.Traditional electrolytic capacitors are preferably replaced with banksof parallel ceramic capacitors to obtain a lower z-axis profile for sameperformance ratings. In addition, the LED Driver module 510 preferablyincludes a thin 2 mm connector capable of supporting up to 3 A. TheiC-DPC LED Driver 509 also preferably includes a Voltage Output and aPower Management source.

The Display Device 105 is preferably capable of presenting one or moreof four different types of images: (1) Still Images, which are digitalimages that do not change over time (a single “still picture” image maybe displayed on one or several separate and coordinated devices tocreate a desired artistic effect); (2) Motion Images, which are digitalmotion video at various frame rates and various length, which can belooped (a single “motion picture” item may be displayed on one orseveral separate coordinated devices to create a desired artisticeffect); (3) Interactive Images, which are digital images that haveinteraction between still or motion images displayed on the DisplayDevices 105 and the mobile apps running on the Client Control 107 tocreate changes in the image displayed on the Display Device 105, revealinformation through the mobile App 108 when the camera of the ClientControl device 107 overlays the App display with the Display Device 105,and/or trigger changes in the images or information displayed on themobile app; and (4) App Images, which are real-time graphicsrenderings—i.e., not pre-rendered video—of visual scenes with or withoutaudio or live data sets or objects driven by a software app and hostedon the Display Device 105 of the present invention that may react toexternal data sources or user input.

App Images are images and sounds that are produced by an Applicationrunning in the Display Processor 510 of the Display Device 105 andcontrolled by an extension to the Client Control 107 user interface thatis specific to the functionality of that App. App Images can also streamaudio-only content with no visual and/or audio content. The App can bepreviewed and purchased from an App Store using the Client Control 107user interface, and it can be installed on the Display Processor 510 ofthe Display Device 105 by dragging the iconic representation of the Appon the Client Control 107 user interface to the graphics representationof the selected Display Device 105 on the user interface. Once selectedfrom an app catalog, the actual download and installation of the App onthe selected Display processor 510 is preferably fully automated withoutany other action from the user. App Images are secured and managed likeother types of Images, i.e., downloaded to a Display Device 105 whenrequested, secured, and prioritized in onboard memory based on viewingprofile. App Images can also be locked in the Display Processor 510memory during production process or when a user acquires the App Imageto create a specialized Display Device 105 that can execute a limitednumber of Apps (e.g., digital signage or video playback). App Images canbe driven by an internal data source (i.e., time) or by an externalreal-time data feed or audio/video stream, or combination of more thanone type of data source. Examples of data feed include standard RSSfeed—weather, stock market, etc. —as well as social data feeds—Twitter,etc. —or custom or proprietary data feeds—telemetry, game data, etc.Apps may or may not offer corresponding user interface controls andindicators on the Client Control 107.

In addition to these four types of Images, the iC-DPC Display Processor510 allows for composite Images where different types of Images (Still,Motion, Interactive, or App) are combined into a single display. Thelayout and composition can be static or change over time, whetherthrough preprogramming, control from external data source, or manualcontrolled. iC-DPC Display Processor 510 also preferably provides layoutmanagement using graphics rendering capability. Layout management allowsjuxtaposition of several images in one or more predetermined layoutsthat are adapted to change over time either in a pre-defined way ordriven by an external source. Using a number of pre-defined layouttemplates, the iC-DPC Display Processor 510 can display a plurality ofimages simultaneously (preferably up to 12 different images, comprisinga combination of Still, Motion, Interactive or App Images) on a singleDisplay Device 105. Layout templates define number and location of eachactive area (i.e., an area where an Image is displayed) as well asbackground and border attributes. A user can select a layout template orallow the iC-DPC Display Processor 510 to manage the same automatically.

One specific type of layout is illustrated in FIG. 25, showing a DisplayDevice 105 in vertical Portrait orientation to display three 16:9 images2501, 2502, and 2503 vertically, one on top of the other. In the exampleshown in FIG. 25, three images of 1080 pixels (horizontally) by 608pixels (vertically) are displayed simultaneously, leaving a total of 96pixel rows for borders and other graphics elements rendered by theDisplay Processor 510. Each of these 16:9 areas can display any type ofImages (Still, Motion, Interactive or App Images). A user can selectthis pre-defined layout using the Client Control 107 user interface andassign content to each area independently. Each image in each area isalso controlled independently of the others using a specific extensionof the user interface. For example, the top area 2501 can display a livevideo feed of a sporting event, while the center area 2502 can display ascoreboard feed of the same event and the lower area 2503 can displaylive Twitter feed of the same event. The user may decide to move thesport event (top area 2501) to the center area 2502 and select adifferent sport event to be displayed in the top area 2501. Finally,playlists define a sequence of Images (including composite Images) thatwill be displayed sequentially either along a fixed timeline or undermanual user input control or reacting to external triggers from theService Cloud 101. These images can combine to cover all orsubstantially all of the display area of Display Device 105 while eachmaintaining their 16:9 aspect ratio and not compromising the imagequality. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, threeseparate digital content images can be displayed on a Display Device105, which is positioned in a vertical (portrait) configuration, so thatthe three digital content items, when stacked vertically, coverapproximately 95% of the display screen viewing area,

iC-DPC Display Processor 510 can use its graphics rendering capabilitiesto create a digital frame and/or digital mat around a piece of digitalcontent. FIG. 6 is a depiction of the Digital Frame 601 and Digital Mat602 generated by the iC-DPC Display Processor 510. A Digital Frame 601is a 3D shaded graphics rendition of a traditional painting or posterframe that is digitally rendered by the iC-DPC Display Processor 510graphics engine. A Digital Mat 602 is a 3D shaded graphics rendition ofa traditional painting or poster mat that is digitally rendered by theiC-DPC Display Processor 510 graphics engine. A Provisioning Engine 1203of the present invention preferably automatically adjusts the dimensionsand 3D shaded attributes of the Digital Frames 601 and Digital Mats 602to adapt to the displayed digital media content item and the size andorientation of the Display Device 105 and enforce guidelines defined bythe artist and curators.

The Digital Frames 601 and Digital Mats 602 can be combined and multiplemats can be layered to create various depth, shadowing and perspectiveeffects rendered by the graphics engine of the present invention. As analternative to a physical Decorative Frames seen in FIG. 9, DigitalFrames 601 and/or Digital Mats 602 may be included around any digitalcontent displayed on embodiments of the Display Device 105 of thepresent invention. These features can be selected from a library ofpre-defined styles (varying based on texture, pattern, color, or inother ways). This library is presented in the form of a digital framingstore with a wide selection of pre-defined frames and mats and a ruleengine (part of the Provisioning Engine 1203) to recommend the bestcombination of the same to match a specific visual and/or audio digitalcontent item based on the nature, attributes and composition of eachvisual and/or audio content item. The content Provisioning Engine 1203of the present invention also allows a curator to recommend or limitselection of Digital Frames 601 and Digital Mats 602 for a given visualand/or audio digital content item.

Additionally, the Provisioning Engine 1203 optimizes the visualizationof digital content to be displayed in the Display Device 105 of thepresent invention. Specifically, if the aspect ratio of a content itemto be displayed, such as a painting, does not correspond to the displayarea of a Display Device 105, the Provisioning Engine 1203 willpreferably automatically detect this situation and provide a DigitalFrame 601 and/or Digital Mat 602 for the image to maximize the displayviewing area of the Display Device without hindering the quality of theimage displayed thereon. A Digital Frame 601 and/or Digital Mat 602 canbe selected from the content library or, if none exists, from theInternet to match the digital image to be displayed.

As seen in FIG. 9, an optional external Decorative Frame 902 similar tothe physical frames that surround traditional paintings or posters canbe added to device to enhance the minimalistic design of the DisplayDevice 105. The optional Decorative Frame allows a Display Device 105 tobe mounted in a traditional physical frame 902 and installed on a wallusing a traditional anchoring mechanism 903. The Display Device 105 canbe locked in place inside the Decorative Frame 902 using a frictionmechanism built into the frame of the Display Device 105. A Framing Kitis also available to allow traditional frame makers to build a framewhere a display assembly will lock perfectly in place and allow for airflow required for cooling Display Device's active electronicscomponents. For the installation of Display Device 105 using aDecorative Frame 902, the Connection Cord 904 is preferably connected tothe Display Device 105 using a direct connection adaptor included in theFraming Kit before mounting on the wall and then connected to the PowerBrick 205. The Wall Mount Bracket 206 or Auto-Rotation Accessories 208are preferably not used with Decorative Frames 902; instead, atraditional frame mounting mechanism 903—hook and wire, nail andbracket, etc.—may be used to attach the Decorative Frame 902 (includingthe Display Device 105) to the mounting surface.

iC-DPC Display Processor 510 is configured to automatically manage itsonboard storage to keep the most current or frequently viewed images instorage within the Service Cloud 101. This allows older or less viewedImages (Still, Motion, Interactive or App Images) to be replaced withnewer content; removed Images can be automatically reloaded when viewingis requested by user. This onboard image management process isconfigured to be automatically performed continuously without anyintervention from a user. However, a user preferably has the ability tolock an image in the memory of the Display Processor 510 to prevent itfrom being dislodged to the Service Cloud 101 by a more recent or viewedImage.

The iC-DPC 500 generates Still or Motion Images by decoding digitalmedia content from local onboard storage 2003, progressive download ordirect streaming. It also provides audio functionality by extractingencoded audio from the digital media content and generating a real-timeaudio stream that is compatible with third party external audiorendering systems and transmitted over the WiFi, Bluetooth, Near FieldCommunication (NFC), or iBeacon wireless interface. iC-DPC 500 alsoincorporates the V-Sound Engine 2012 which modifies the decoded sourceaudio stream to adapt to the external audio system by modulating audiofrequencies or audio range or generating surround sounds channels. TheV-Sound Engine 2012 also allows for adjusting a video compensate for lagintroduced by the wireless communication interface, transmission, andexternal audio system internal processing. In order to obtain theoptimum audio and video synchronization, the Display Processor 510 has acalibration application which allows a user to visually adjust the videodelay to perfectly synchronize with the audio signal using a visualpattern.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of the generalaudio streaming sub-system of the present invention. The iC-DPC 500preferably streams high quality audio embedded in digital media contentobtained from the Service Cloud 101 and stored in iC-DPC onboard storage2003 over WiFi wireless interface (IEEE802.11) 2004 and other wirelessinterfaces 2005 (including Bluetooth—802.15.1, Near Field Communicationor NFC—including ISO/IEC 18092, and iBeacon) to external third partyaudio rendering systems 2006 and 2007, respectively. A digital mediacontent item 2008 is re-constructed using data from onboard storage 2003and decrypted by the iC-DPC crypto-core 2009 before being transferred tothe iC-DPC decoder 2010. The decoder 2010 sends the decoded image/videoto the TMDS/LVDS interface 2011 and transfers the audio data to theSound Engine 2012 before being encoded 2013 and transferred to the audiostreaming engine 2014. Depending on configuration, the audio streamingengine 2014 can send the audio stream across one of the previouslymentioned wireless communication interface to an external audio(rendering) system 2006 or 2007 that renders the actual acoustics.

The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 includes a secured lock-down processor510 with a secure booth loader, a signed Android OS running on a securedpartition, and security key registers (all features of a securitysub-system of a Freescale iMX6 processor preferably used) that arepreferably not exposed in clear outside of a trusted application space.All software applications are preferably signed and authenticated beforebeing installed. In addition, the iC-DPC Display Processor 510mechanical design ensures that the entire decoded video path isprotected. Also, as a design and safety feature of the presentinvention, all removable storage and memory modules are preferably gluedto their receptacle socket if not soldered to the electronics module toprevent unauthorized removal without irremediable destruction of theelectronics module.

The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 preferably uses a Virtual EnvironmentAbstraction Layer (VEAL) Adapter 1220 to allow an App Image connected toone or more external public or private Service Clouds 1216 and 1217 toexecute securely within iC-DPC Display Processor 510. The VEAL adapter1220 is preferably wrapped around the App to deliver all requiredresources including Access Control, Management and Control, ContentDelivery and Security. It allows the App to communicate securely withits external Service Cloud 1216 or 1217 through its correspondingVirtual Environment 1223 hosted within the Service Cloud 101.

The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 OS is configured to allow for secureremote OS update and application update down to the file level using asignature authentication mechanism. In the case where an OS update isbroken or current OS gets corrupted, the iC-DPC Display Processor 510has the capability to automatically fall back to a previous safe OSversion that is stored securely on the iC-DPC Display Processor 510.Using this mechanism a Service Cloud 101 operator is able to force fallback or remotely install and configure a new OS version with informationsecurely stored on the iC-DPC 500.

There are preferably two mechanisms disclosed by embodiments of thepresent invention to protect content stored by the components of thepresent invention: the first can preferably be used for most contenttypes and the second is a security model that offers additionalprotection for higher value content. In the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, these two mechanisms are mutually exclusive butcomplementary processes, though it is envisioned in an alternateembodiment of the present invention that they could be combined. Fordigital content which are not of high value, the first securitymechanism—shown in FIG. 7—can be utilized, which segments a digitalmedia item into a plurality of segments before storing the same onboardthe iC-DPC 500 and sends only a small percentage of the segments—calleda pre-formatted file 702—to the V-Secure Content Service (“VCSC”) 1218of the VSC 101 for storage. The second security mechanism—shown in FIGS.17 and 18, and described in detail later—can be used for securing highervalue digital content items 1810, where content is instantly dissectedon the Service Cloud 101 into particles 1507 which can then be furthercut into slices 1802 which can individually be encrypted using a CypherKey 1806 and separately stored.

FIG. 7 is a representation of an iC-DPC first level content storagesecurity system design embodiment of the present invention. This storagesecurity model can preferably be applied to all content unless thehigher level content security model depicted in FIGS. 17 an 18 isdesired and utilized. A Digital Content Image 700 which has been simplyencrypted in the VCSC 1218 can be downloaded by iC-DPC 500 using securedprotocol, at which point the Digital Content 700 can be de-encrypted andsegmented into a plurality of segments 701. A small portion of eachsegment 701 can be removed and packaged in a container 702 (so-called“segment-in-the-sky”) that is provided with an encryption 703A and sentto the Service Cloud 101 to be stored. The remaining portion of thesegments can be re-encrypted with an encryption 703B and stored togetheron the iC-DPC 500 until they are reconstructed back together. Thus, eachDigital Content Image 700 stored in iC-DPC 500 is missing a key piece ofdata necessary for the image to be reconstructed. Upon receiving anauthenticated command to display a Digital Content Image 700 on aDisplay Device 105, the iC-DPC 500 requests the appropriate“segment-in-the-sky” 702, decrypts it, and reconstructs each segment 701at step 705 to reassemble the complete image.

Embodiments of the present invention preferably incorporate ananti-tampering mechanism 530 that triggers immediate zero-removal of allencryption and segmenting keys and digital media content if an attemptto physically access the iC-DPC Display Processor 510 module isdetected. The anti-tampering mechanism 530 is a mechanical switch thatis preferably embedded in the iC-DPC Module Cover 2408. As soon as anattempt is made to separate the cover from the Display Processor 510,the anti-tampering mechanism 530 is preferably configured to send asignal to the iC-DPC Display Processor 510 to initiate a zero-removalprocedure. The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 incorporates a battery toensure that the switch and processor have enough power to detect andexecute this procedure in case power is disconnected from DisplayDevice. A zero-removal procedure has the highest execution priority andcan't be interrupted once initiated. It preferably starts by erasing allregisters and keys (replacing with zeros) and then continues by erasingstored Image file indexing and then stored Image files and finally theapplication software and operating system until it runs out of power.

As for any storage system, digital content integrity may be impacted bydigital rotting or data corruption over time. To protect against suchdegradation, which affects the quality of images displayed, the iC-DPCDisplay Processor 510 incorporates software to continuously monitor thedata integrity of stored content for data integrity and requestsdownloads of parts or complete items if it detects digital rotting ordata corruption. This process takes place in the background, ideallyguarantees all aspects of stored content protection, and does not impactthe viewing of digital content on the Display Device 105.

Embodiments of the present invention preferably integrate the DisplayDevice 105 seamlessly into a connected home network and can beconfigured to become either a master, slave or peer node. Through itswireless connectivity interfaces, iC-DPC Display Processor 510 canreceive commands or send commands from other connected devices orappliances or other Display Devices 105. Among other types of devices, aDisplay Device 105 can be integrated with proximity and locationsensors, thus enabling it to become “aware” of its environment and reactaccordingly. For example, it may be able to detect the presence of awarm body or a motion and adjust its displayed Images accordingly;alternatively, it may detect the proximity of another smart device andtrigger an action in the remote device or coordinate an action betweenitself and the remote device. Multiple Display Devices 105 cancommunicate with one another within wireless proximity and relay (“hop”)messages (e.g., motion detected), commands, or images back and forth tocoordinate actions.

The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 preferably incorporates standard IEEE802.11 (WiFi) capability. Once the device is connected to the cloud, allcontrol, command and reporting dialogs are preferably exclusively routedthrough the cloud using secure IP protocol over the WiFi communicationlink through a local wireless access point 1104, thus enforcing a strongsecurity framework and preventing unauthorized access to its resources.The WiFi interface can operate in master (infrastructure) or slave(peer) modes depending on the initialization status of the DisplayDevice 105.

Other wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth—802.15.1, NearField Communication—including ISO/IEC 18092, and iBeacon may also beused to communicate with remote devices. Local peripheral devices suchas audio rendering system or sensors can communicate with a DisplayDevice 105 over WiFi or other wireless communication interfaces toestablish a direct link with an authorized mobile Client Control 107device hosting the Client App 108. The iC-DPC 500 may also incorporate aUSB port to allow external devices such as external sensors to connectand transfer data to/from the iC-DPC Display Processor 510.

A 3G (IMT-2000) and 4G/LTE and 4G/WiMax (IEEE 802.16) cellular wirelessinterface can also be enabled to allow the iC-DPC Display Processor 510to communicate with the Service Cloud 101 through a local cellular dataservice operator network.

Exoskeleton

As can be seen in FIG. 8, the Exoskeleton 202 is a protective shell thatis attached to the front side—comprising the display screen—of a DisplayDevice 105 which is preferably formed of glass. The Exoskeleton 202preferably provides ease of manipulation, handling, and installation ofthe Display Device 105, makes the installation process more accurate,protects the Display Device 105 during shipping and handling, and allowsfor dramatic reduction of the Display Assembly 201 internal structure,thus enabling a much thinner and lightweight design. Preferably, theExoskeleton 202 is configured to couple to the Display Device 105 toprotect it on all sides—except for the rear surface of the DisplayAssembly 201 which connects to a Wall Mount Bracket 206—and is adaptedto quickly and easily decouple from the Display Device 105 once it is inplace on a wall. The Exoskeleton 202 is designed to prevent excessivebending and twisting of a Display Device 105 and provides holding points(e.g., handles) to facilitate removal from the shipping packaging andattachment to the Wall Mount Bracket 206 or Auto-Rotation Accessory 208.

The three main components of the Exoskeleton 202 include (1) handles 802to grab and manipulate the Display Assembly 201, (2) locking mechanism803 to securely attach the Exoskeleton 202 to the Display Assembly 201without risk that the Display Device 105 will fall and shatter, and (3)Body 804 that provides the required structural rigidity while remaininglight and easy to handle. The locking mechanism 803 is preferably madeof a plastic material part 805 that pivots behind the Display Assembly201 to securely and firmly attach the Display Assembly 201 to theExoskeleton 202.

Installation

The Display Device 105, mated to its Exoskeleton 202, is preferablydelivered new in packaging that protects the device during shipping andhandling, facilitates installation of the device, includes installationtools to install the device, and delivers a unique and rewarding“out-of-the-box” experience. The entire packaging and installationprocedure is ideally completed in less than 20 minutes by consumers withno specific home renovation or construction or mechanical skills oncethe location of the device is determined. Immediately upon opening theshipping packaging, a printed protective layer providing a preview ofthe device is preferably visible. The back of this protective layer alsoserves as an installation template.

The installation procedure may begin without any components other thanthe Client App 108 loaded on a Client Control 107 device such as tabletT or other mobile device. Using the App 108 a user can visualize whatthe wall and the room will look like once the device is installed. Usingthe camera of the Client Control 107 device, the App 108 preferablyrecognizes the printed pattern 2301 and can overlay a syntheticrepresentation of a Display Device 105 on top of the picture captured bythe camera in real-time to simulate the desired placement of the DisplayDevice 105. Once locked on the pattern 2301, the camera can be movedaround the room and the representation overlay is configured to maintainthe right position and orientation of the simulated Display Device 105with reference to the wall using the mobile device's built-inaccelerometer and spatial referencing system. Once the correct positionis located, the reference pattern 2301 can be replaced with the actualinstallation template 203 included in the packaging. This can be seen inFIG. 23.

The Installation Template 203 provides a full size representation of theDisplay Device 105. It is used on the mounting surface without having toinstall the Wall Mount Bracket 206 and possibly damage the mountingsurface. Template 203 preferably incorporates a bubble level to ensureproper leveling, sticky points to easily attach the same to the mountingsurface and make adjustments and markers to precisely determine theposition of the Wall Mount Bracket 206 and its anchor points (stickypads or screws). The Template 203 can be placed on a wall—and leveled tobe exactly parallel with the floor or ceiling—and when it is removedfrom the wall, the markers are preferably left on the wall to direct auser as to the exact desired location of the Display Device and the WallMount Bracket 206. If the user needs to adjust the level to achieve thedesired angle, the user can easily detach and re-attach the Template 203on the wall without damage to the wall. Once the Template 203 iscorrectly located, the user can mark the wall where screws or adhesivepads will be installed (the template preferably incorporates achalk-like substance that automatically marks the wall when pressed).The user can then peel off the central part of the template to leave anempty hole 203A that is the exact shape of the Wall mount bracket. Oncethe Wall Mount Bracket 206 is installed, then the user is instructed toinstall the Connector Cord 204 and connect it to the Power Brick 205(without connecting the Power Brick 205 to a power outlet). Theremainder of the Template can be used to guide the actual mounting ofthe Display Device to the Wall Mount Bracket, as the shape perfectlyaligns with the edges of the Display Device to be installed. Finally,using the Exoskeleton handles 802, the Display Device 105 can beattached to the Wall Mount Bracket 206 by sliding the recessed backcover 305 of the Display Assembly 201 into the Wall Mount Bracket 206using the guiding channels built into the back cover. The Exoskeleton202 can then be removed to reveal the glass display screen of theDisplay Device 105, and it can be set aside for later relocation of thedevice if necessary or desired. The last step is to connect the PowerBrick 205 to the power outlet to initiate the power-up sequence of theDisplay Device 105. The user then removes the remainder of theInstallation Template 203 to complete installation.

The preferred embodiment for installation procedure 1100 is depicted inFIG. 11. In Step 1, Display Device 105 powers up ininfrastructure/master mode and displays an encoded splash screen 1102(artistic rendering with encoded unique ID) while Mobile App 108 isconnected to Service Cloud 101 through local Wireless Access Point (WAP)1104 (or 3G/4G/LTE). In Step 2, a user takes a picture of the splashscreen 1102 with Mobile App 108 and extracts an SSID of the device frominformation encoded in splash screen 1102; the Mobile App 108 is stillcommunicating with Service Cloud 101 through its normal WiFi 1104 (or3G/4G/LTE) connection. In Step 3, the Mobile App 108 switches its WiFiconnection 1105 to the device and the user sets local WAP settingsdirectly or copies the configuration from another Display Device. InStep 4, the Display Device 105 restarts in slave mode to connect tolocal WAP 1104, Mobile App 108 resets its connection to WAP 1104, andDisplay Device 105 registers with Service Cloud 101. Finally in Step 5,Mobile App 108 receives confirmation that a new Display Device 105 isfully commissioned and ready for normal operations.

As an alternative to the configuration procedure presented in FIG. 11,the Display Device may use its internal WiFi, BlueTooth, NFC, or iBeaconcapability to communicate with the Client Control 107 device. Aftercompleting its power-up sequence, the Display Device 105 configures itsWiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, or iBeacon wireless interface in auto-discovermodel (encrypted). The Mobile App 108 scans the opening picturesdisplayed on the Display Device 105 or the QR code printed on thepackaging to extract the key information necessary to find the DisplayDevice Bluetooth, NFC, or iBeacon signal, authenticate securely, andobtain Display Device 105 information that is validated with the ServiceCloud 101. Once the Display Device 105 is authenticated, the Mobile App108 copies its own WiFi settings to Display Device 105 through theBlueTooth, NFC, or iBeacon connection and instructs the Display Device105 to reboot with the new WiFi configuration that will allow theDisplay Device 105 to connect with the local Wireless Access Point 1104.A second Display Device 105 may also auto-discover an existing DisplayDevice 105 in close proximity upon completing its power-up sequence andcommunicate with this Display Device 105 to obtain its WiFiconfiguration, thus removing the need for manual configuration using aClient Control 107 device.

Display Processor

The iC-DPC Display Processor 510 module may also be packaged as astand-alone unit, hereinafter called Player 2100, capable of driving astandard FullHD display through a standard HDMI port. The Player 2100can be seen in FIGS. 21A and 21B. The Player 2100 is a stand-alonepackaging of the ultra-thin iC-DPC Display Processor 510 module enclosedinto the ultra-slim form factor of a flat and thin solid preferablyhaving a maximum thickness of 7 mm. It preferably communicates with atraditional display device such as a TV or computer monitor through astandard micro-HDMI connector 2103. The Player 2100 provides a means todisplay visual and/or audio media content through App 108 and VSC 101 ona standard TV instead of a Display Device 105. For example, if a Gallerywants to display some digital artwork on a 105″ display, then thegallery can use the Player 2100 to drive a standard 105″ TV through itsstandard HDMI port. The Player 2100 is configured to embed the sameiC-DPC Display Processor 510 electronics as the Display Device 105, thusallowing a user to connect the standard TV with VSC 101 so that thestandard TV can be controlled in exactly the same way as a standardDisplay Device 105 would. The only difference between the use of Player2100 with a regular TV and the use of a Display Device 105 is that thePlayer 2100 is an external component to a standard TV instead of theiC-DPC Display Processor 510 being embedded in the Display Device 105itself.

The Player 2100 preferably uses a stylized LED indicator 2102 to providestatus information to user. The Player 2100 preferably uses the sametype of wireless connection as the iC-DPC Display Processor 510 embeddedin a Display Assembly 201 to communicate with the Service Cloud 101. Inaddition, it preferably has the capability to embed audio along withvideo into the HDMI signal. The Player 2100 is preferably poweredthrough a standard external power supply. It may also be configured tobe powered through its embedded Power Over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3-2012)internal capability.

Mobile Client Application

A Mobile Client Application (“App”) 108 may be compatible with one ormore of the iOS, Android, Windows and other mobile platforms and is usedto enable users to control and manage their entire user experience. Itsfunctionalities can also be embedded into web pages available through aWeb browser or a single-purpose tablet device. The App 108 preferablyincorporates an advanced and innovative visual and interactive design tooffer a highly intuitive and stylish user interface to controloperations of embodiments of the Display Devices 105 embodying thepresent invention and enable other functions such as secure access touser account and profile information; review, monitoring, and managementof owned devices; review, monitoring, and control of productsubscriptions; browsing and management of purchased digital mediacontent; browsing and management of private user media content; browsingand viewing of media content collections and catalog; purchase orsubscription of products or services through a shopping cart includingimmediate access to a payment gateway; access to all social functionsincluding subscribing to specific media content items, updating socialnetwork app status, sharing comments, and more; adapt and push selectedmedia content (purchased, subscribed or private) to specific devices;and ingesting private user media content (selecting one's own stillimages or video, normalizing to set viewing standards, adapting to theviewing experience of the present invention, and uploading to theService Cloud 101 or private cloud storage). In fact, the App 108 is theuser interface of the Display Device 105 which allows users to controlall aspects of its operations.

All communications between App 108 and Display Device 105 are preferablyrouted through the Service Cloud 101 to enforce a strong securityframework except for the very limited use cases when a direct Bluetooth,NFC, or iBeacon connection can be established between the Display Device105 and the Client Control device 107 running the Mobile Client App 108.The App 108 is configured to communicate with the service cloud overpublic or private Internet. In turn the Service Cloud 101 is configuredto send requests and content to, and receive information from, theDisplay Devices 105 of the present invention. The communication link isa generally wireless one, through a local network, the connection towhich is managed by the smart mobile device 107 hosting the App 108, butgenerally proceeds by allowing the selection of the SSID of a local WiFinetwork and entering of a security key, if required. Alternately thesmart mobile device can communicate over its cellular data communicationinterface.

A single Client Control 107 and App 108 are preferably adapted toremotely control several Display Devices 105, whether the DisplayDevices 105 are in the same room or across the world. The App isdesigned to control each Display Device 105 separately or coordinate theactions of several Display Devices 105 synchronously, to coordinate aspatial arrangement of Display Devices 105 where a single digital mediacontent item can be displayed across several Display Devices. The userexperience of the present invention is aimed to deliver a pureinteractive experience where all complexity is handled by the system toleave the user with a simple and highly intuitive user interface. Theprimary function of the App 108 is to control the operations of theDisplay Device 105; the App 108 is designed to bridge the separationbetween the two devices and make them behave as one highly intuitive andcoordinated system.

The App's user interface is based on a structured tiling layout where auser can visually group digital media content items (including Apps) andslide a thumbnail representation of the content item to an abstract userinterface representation of the selected Display Device 105. All contentmanagement functions can be implemented using this intuitive paradigm.Due to the geometric arrangement of the various elements of the userinterface, the user can intuitively select and drag content items tomimic the gesture of “pushing” the content item to a Display Device 105that is physically in front of, or in some way connected to, the ClientControl 107. A similar gesture can be used to remove images from aDisplay Device 105 which have been placed thereon by a user. In thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, all images can beuploaded to and removed from Display Devices 105 by means of the App 108by using a simple drag-and-drop configuration on the Client Control 107through the App's user interface. A user can thus drag an image to adigital representation of a specific Display Device 105 on their App 108to display an image, and drag the image away from the Display Device 105representation to remove the image therefrom and place it back in thecontent library. In another embodiment, App 108 can also be providedwith an erase function, by which an image can be removed from a DisplayDevice merely by waiving App 108 (on the Client Control 107) in front ofa Display Device displaying an image. This will preferably remove theimage from the Display Device and place the image back into the contentlibrary, in the same manner as the drag-and-drop configuration. The userinterface interaction model is designed to manage all types of mediacontent—still images, motion images, interactive images and appimages—in the same way regardless of their type of interaction,installation complexity, or operations controls.

Similarly—and unlike traditional applications—the execution of an appimage is controlled by the App 108 with the simple gesture ofdrag-and-dropping the App Image icon to a Display Device 105. The App108 software is configured to detect the drag-and-drop gesture and tosend a command to the VSC 101 to instruct the selected Display Device105 to download the App Image, install it, and have it ready forexecution. This background process may actually cause a slight delay inthe appearance of the app-driven image on the Display Device 105 becauseof the time required for that process. Preferably, the App 108 interfacecan display an interim image for the brief time during which thisprocess is occurring.

The App 108 allows users to create an account, manage account profile,settings and payment information, set usage preference, and review usageand payment history. Each owner of one or many Display Devices 105 has aCustomer account. Each user has a separate User account that can belinked to the same Customer account. All User accounts of the sameCustomer account are able to share access and control of a common poolof devices or digital media content. One of these User accounts ispreferably designated as primary and controls specific access privilegesfor all User accounts linked to this Customer account. There aredifferent types of Customer accounts based on the type of commercialactivities that they can perform within the Content Service Cloud 1218community: selling content, buying content, buying and subscribing tocontent, reselling content, ingesting original content or simply viewingcontent. Finally one or several Display Devices 105 are linked to aCustomer account along with all digital media content items purchased orsubscribed by this Customer account.

The App 108 enables authorized users to configure devices linked to thesame Customer account. Users can define their profile (name andlocation), privacy settings (access list, visibility), contentrestrictions (type of content, notification) and operation settings suchas sleep time, audio delay, brightness offset, and maintenance rules andperiods.

The App 108 enables a properly authenticated user to install andprovision a Display Device 105 linked to a Customer account. EachDisplay Device 105 can be linked to a Customer account using its uniqueidentification number. This number is preferably encoded in the imagedisplayed by the device during its start-up procedure and captured bythe App 108 through the camera of Client Control 107.

The App 108 enables authorized users to control operations of a DisplayDevice 105 that is linked to the same Customer account. Users can loador remove digital media content, review storage usage, mirror contentfrom another authorized device, set the digital frame and mat rules,activate/disable playlists, adjust brightness, contrast and colorsaturation of specific digital media content items on a specific deviceor control backlighting intensity, pixel hoping, reboot to factorysettings, reset network interface or display status. The App 108 alsoprovides access to support and maintenance to enable functions such asbrowsing knowledge base, chat with a customer support agent, reporting adefective device or service malfunction, or restoring a backupconfiguration to a new device.

The App 108 allows authorized users to manage content that is owned orsubscribed to by the Customer account taking into considerationlimitations defined by the primary User account owner. Each Customeraccount has a master content library that contains references to contentitems which are owned (i.e., digital media content, frames, mats, andplaylist) or subscribed to (content channel) by the account. Using thesame user interface paradigm as described for controlling operations ofthe present invention, users can browse, review metadata, preview, andpush to the device any content item that is referenced in the accountmaster content library. In addition, a user can add or remove anycontent item (purchased or subscribed) from a Display Device and createor modify Favorites, playlists or a configuration made of specificdigital media content items paired with specific frames, mats, andplaylist items. Subscribed digital media content is presented in theform of content channels, i.e., a large number of digital media contentitems grouped under a common theme and available for display on anydevice linked to a Customer account for a limited period of time.Finally, users can organize content items in folders or browse by age,viewing frequency, type, viewing locations, etc.

If an image is desired to be pulled from the Internet and displayed on aDisplay Device 105, upon its selection on the App 108, VCSC 1218 willpreferably determine whether that image has been cached on the DisplayDevice 105 previously and instantaneously download and display theselected image on a desired Display Device 105 if it was not cached. Theimage will then be stored in the content library 1408 on VCSC 1218 forfuture use. Any time thereafter that a user wishes to re-display thatimage, it can be selected on App 108 from the content library anddrag-and-dropped to the digital representation of a desired DisplayDevice on the App 108 for display thereon.

The App 108 enables authorized users to acquire content items (includingApp Images) or subscribe to a content channel. Its intuitive userinterface preferably allows users to browse content catalogs andcollections by keywords, pricing parameters, theme, type, ranking,recommendations and emotional attributes, view metadata of contentitems, preview watermarked content in the App's viewer or, for a shortperiod of time, on the device and complete a one-time transaction topurchase content items using payment information linked to the Customeraccount. Through this process, a user can acquire ownership rights ofdigital media content (Still Images, Motion Images, Interactive Imagesand App Images), frames, mats, and playlist items. For playlistpurchase, in addition to previous functions, the App 108 also allowsuser to preview the entire playlist with play controls and watermarkedcontent and preferably automatically generates a list of digital mediacontent items that are missing from customer's own content library tohave the complete playlist. Similarly, a user can acquire limitedduration viewing rights for the content included in the content channelthrough a recurring payment model. Finally, the user interface providesaccess to commercial terms and conditions of transactions, transactionhistory and order status.

Under certain pre-determined conditions, the App 108 preferably allowscertain categories of authorized customers to sell digital media contentthat was either previously acquired through the Service Cloud 101 ornewly added to its own catalog. Typically, resale of digital mediacontent is controlled by the terms of ownership that explicitlydetermine whether a content item can be resold and the commercial termsthat are applicable. A limited number of customer Account typespreferably have the privilege to sell content. Once content is fullyingested and made available for sale, the App 108 allows customers tomonitor and control the selling process including defining commercialmetadata, terms, conditions and pricing, reviewing and accepting orrejecting offers and completing the commercial transaction.

The App 108 also enables authorized users to manage their social userexperience. It allows users to send, receive and reject friend requests,post status automatically or manually on the internal social network orexternally to third party social networks, publish like/dislike, reviewsand comments of content managed by the cloud service, make suggestionsand recommendations and create or participate in discussion groups andblogs that are open to the entire online cloud community or limited to aprivate sub-community. User can also trade playlists or join authoringgroups that are jointly and dynamically creating shared playlists. Allsuch content can be displayed on a Display Device 105.

Users can also use the App 108 to import their own private user content2204, display it on their Display Device 105, and share it among theService Cloud 101 community. The user interface guides the user throughan automated workflow with gates and checkpoints that allow the user tocontrol the quality and specifications of the media content item thatwill be stored in the Service Cloud 101. First, it allows a user toselect a private picture or video content item 2201, in a wide varietyof format, from local storage or a third party cloud service. Then, ittriggers the upload 2206 & 2207 of the selected content to the ServiceCloud 101 where it is preferably normalized, adapted to internalstandards and converted to mezzanine format. Finally, a user can makecolor saturation, brightness and contrast adjustments, and preview 2210in full resolution on device, add metadata and set share attributes.Once the content is stored in the user's private library 1408, the usercan browse, organize, edit viewing preferences, push to any authorizeddevice, or delete. The App 108 also allows authorized user to send,accept or decline a share request to/from another user that is part ofits social network, modify sharing attributes, review sharing historyand trace, review viewing history or withdraw sharing privileges.

Additionally, the App 108 is configured to hide all security and rightspermissions for the Display Devices 105 to which it is connected throughVSC 101. Thus, a user can send an image directly from App 108 on hisClient Control 107 directly to a Display Device 105—whether their own orone for which he has previously been granted access—without anyintermediate steps from a third party intermediary granting rights to doso—or without requiring the interface of a third party intermediary.Previously, a user would require such a third party intermediary, suchas Facebook, Instagram, a text message, or other device to send an imageto another. The present invention aims to overcome this issue.

The App 108 is designed to allow extensions to be added automaticallywhen App Images are installed the iC-DPC Display Processor 510. Theseextensions are specific to each App Images. They are preferablyencapsulated into the VEAL adapter 1221 that delivers all requiredresources including Access Control, Management and Control, ContentDelivery and Security. The VEAL adapter 1221 allows App 108 Extensionsto communicate securely with its external Service Cloud 1216 or 1217through its corresponding Virtual Environment 1223 hosted within theService Cloud 101. Extensions are additional user interface elementswhich can be loaded onto the App 108 for display on the Display Device105. For example, if a user loads a NetFlix app on the Display Device,the App 108 can have additional user interface elements to allow theuser to control the NetFlix app (e.g., select a movie). These new userinterface elements can preferably be grouped together under a NetFlixpanel as an “extension” of the user interface.

Shown in FIG. 10, Active Frame 1002 is provided for standard mobiledevice (for example, tablets, iPads, Kindles, Iconias, PadPhones,Transformer Pads, Galaxy Notes, Nexuses, Xperias, Excites), hereinaftercollectively referred to as “tablet T.” The Active Frame for a tabletdevice is preferably made of two mechanical components configured toconnect around the perimeter of a mobile device. In the preferredembodiment of the present invention, the two mechanical componentscomprise: (1) a U-shape frame 1001 with a rail that allows a standardtablet T to slide therein and (2) a straight fourth side of the frame1003 that matches the design of the U-shape frame assembly 1001. Thefourth side has a locking mechanism 1004 at each end to lock it in placeand create a solid frame around the tablet. The fourth side incorporatesa male connector 1005 that will be inserted into the female connector ofthe tablet when the fourth side is locked in place. Different sizedActive Frame for tablets preferably match the exact specifications ofdifferent types of tablet devices T. The frame preferably aestheticallyenhances the viewing experience of digital art, posters, decorations andother visual and/or audio content and may allow a standard tablet tostand nearly upright on a horizontal surface or be mounted on a verticalsurface using a simple anchoring system 1006 similar to traditionalframe mounting mechanism 903. Other variations of the configuration ofthe Active Frame 1002 are also envisioned.

This Active Frame 1002 preferably functions to lock a standard mobiletablet to allow it to function solely as a device disclosed by thepresent invention, thus preventing the tablet from being used for anyother purposes than viewing digital media content. Prior to insertingthe tablet T into the Active Frame 1002, the user must load an app 1010(shown schematically) on the tablet T to enable the tablet to operate ina way that is similar to the Display Device 105 of the presentinvention. Once inserted in the Active Frame 1002, the electronics,discussed below, embedded in the Active Frame can send a signal throughthe tablet connector to inform the tablet operating system to allow onlythe application of the present invention to run while connected to theActive Frame. Detaching the frame side that is connected to the tabletconnector port 1005 will restore the tablet to its normal operations.Once locked, the tablet and frame assembly communicates with the VSC 101through the tablet WiFi interface and can be controlled like otherDisplay Devices 105. The Active Frame 1002 preferably draws power fromthe tablet T when connected through its connector port 1005, butpreferably also comes with its own external power supply to power theactive frame and the tablet. In another embodiment, Active Frame 1002comprises a communication device which is configured to communicate withthe tablet T through radio, including Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, or iBeacon.

The Active Frame 1002 contains a processor 1009, media storage 1007 tostore digital media content securely, separately from the tablet's ownstorage 1008 and secured registers 1007A where the frame uniqueidentifier and security keys are stored. This information is used toencrypt, encode and slice digital media content in a way that is similarto the security sub-system of the iC-DPC Display Processor 510.

Internet Cloud Infrastructure

FIG. 12A is a block diagram that illustrates the functional componentsof the V-Service Cloud 101 that delivers a fully virtualized environmentto deliver content and services to iC-DPC Display Processor 510(embedded in the Display Device 105 and Player 2100), the Client Control107, Mobile App 108, and Service Operations Management applications1224. These content and services are primarily managed and deliveredthrough native service clouds entirely hosted and operated within theV-Service Cloud 101. Other services are managed by the V-Service Cloud101 resources and delivered from other service clouds external to theV-Service Cloud 101; these external service clouds can be private 1216or public 1217. Content and service originating from external serviceclouds 1216 or 1217 uses the V-Live Data Gateway 1211 and its VirtualEnvironment Abstraction Layer (VEAL) 1223 to communicate content andcontrols to App Images 1220 running in the iC-DC Display Processor 510,Client Control 107 user interface extensions 1221, and extensions toSystem Operations Management applications 1222.

Native service clouds have direct access to all resources of theV-Service Cloud 101 to deliver maximum performance. The main nativeservice cloud is the V-Content Service Cloud 1218 that is designed todeliver visual and/or audio content to the Display Device 105 under userClient Control 107 and managed by Service Operations ManagementApplication 1224. Other native service clouds 1219 are also deployed todeliver services such as enterprise visual communications and digitalsignage.

V-Live Data Gateway (VDG)

The V-Live Data Gateway (VDG) 1211 provides a Virtual EnvironmentAbstraction Layer (VEAL) 1223 to allow external service clouds 1216 or1217 to deliver their services to Display Devices 105 and the App 108running on Client Control 107 within the V-Service Cloud 101environment. VEAL 1223 follows a three-tier model where the top tier isa standardized and structured layer attached to the external servicecloud 1216, allowing the external service cloud 1216 to securelycommunicate with a second tier made of a corresponding VirtualEnvironment 1223 within the Service Cloud 101 that directly controlsinteraction with a third tier which is a VEAL interface attached to thecorresponding app 1220 installed on the Display Processor 510 andcontrolled through a corresponding extension 1221 of the Client Control107. The top tier, i.e., the external standardized layer, communicatingwith the second tier Virtual Environment 1223, is structured in fourelements: content, security, access control, and management, with eachelement being specific to each external cloud service 1216 or 1217. Inaddition to acting as a secure proxy routing data from the externalservice cloud 1216 or 1217 to and from the Display Processor 510 and theClient Control 107, the external service Virtual Environment 1223 splitscontrols from content allowing each one to be routed to and from adifferent device. By opposition to traditional cloud services (forexample a video on demand service) which combines user controls andcontent viewing on the same device (e.g., a TV), the external serviceVirtual Environment 1223 allows controls to be routed to and from theClient Control 107 and content to be simultaneously routed to theDisplay Device 105. The external service Virtual Environment 1223 alsoperforms deep data filtering to prevent any malware from reaching theDisplay Device 105 and other management functions allowing both theexternal service cloud 1216 or 1217 and the Service Cloud 101 to keeptrack of activity history and other usage and commercial metrics.

In simpler situations where data is simply sent from an external sourceto the Display Device 105 Display Processor 510, the VDG 1211 acts as adata concentrator to securely route data from an external service cloud1216 or 1217 to create an App Image 1220. VDG 1211 uses connectors toreceive live RSS, XML or URL data feeds and make them available to AppImages 1220 running on registered Display Devices 105. VSDK 1604, whichwill be discussed in further detail, allows developers to create newconnectors and/or register their Apps to connected live data feeds. VDG1211 also incorporates a security filtering mechanism to make sure thatlive data feeds do not carry any harmful data.

A specific application of VDG 1211 and VEAL 1223 is to enableover-the-top (“OTT”) capability for the Display Devices 105 of thepresent invention by creating an OTT Virtual Environment 1223 that actsas a secure proxy for external service clouds and aggregates theircontent to be sent to the corresponding VEAL-wrapped App Image 1220running on Display Processor 510 and managed (e.g., by login credential)and controlled (e.g., by feed selection) through a Client Control 107and a corresponding “VEAL-wrapped” extension 1221. Thus, a user with asingle Display Device 105 can use the multi-image layout capability ofthe iC-DPC Display Processor 510 to aggregate several types of AppImages 1220 driven by their corresponding Virtual Environment 1223 (forexample, a movie feed, a video game feed, or Skype chat feed), so thatall images can be displayed separately and yet simultaneously andconcurrently on the same Display Device 105 using a preset displaylayout and under control of specific Client Control 107 user interfaceextensions 1221. This can include any combination of still images,motion images, interactive images, or app images. The OTT aggregationcapability can be utilized for digital art, poster and decor images, forsocial networking, for gaming, or even for television broadcast oron-demand or other MSO or OTT content.

Using the split relationship between the App 108 and a Display Device105, a user can log into his/her own web service account—i.e., socialnetwork, media streaming, etc.—on the Client Control 107 and direct theoutput to be displayed on a select Display Device 105 by simply pushingthe visual representation of the web service to the selected DisplayDevice 105 without the need for a third party intermediary.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses thedisplay of digital art, it is also envisioned that the Display Device105, App 108, and VSC 101 of the present invention are configured forthe transmission and display of other digital content such asdecorations, posters, internet streaming of television or movies, videogames, social media, video chatting, social networking, MSO, or OTTvisual and/or audio content or even the display of Applications normallyaccessed on a mobile device.

V-Communication Controller (ViCC)

The V-Communication Controller (ViCC) 1202 preferably maintainscommunication with all active Display Devices 105, routes native data toand from the various native Service Clouds 1218 or 1219 and VEAL-wrappeddata to and from Virtual Environments 1223, and keeps track of theoperational status of all Display Devices 105 that are provisioned.Communication to and from each Display Device 105 preferably employsXMPP messages over secured IP connection for signaling a secure payloadtransfer protocol over secured IP connection for digital media contentdistribution. ViCC 1202 can keep track of the status of each devicethrough XMPP presence status. Upon receiving a request to upload adigital media content item, ViCC 1202 can solicit a cloud ContentDistribution Network (CDN) to deliver the payload to the device.

V-Interface Server (VIS)

The V-Interface Server (VIS) 1205 is a highly scalable serverarchitecture that handles all communications between the Service Cloud101 and the App 108 on Client Control 107 to service all functions andcapabilities accessible through the user interface of App 108 on theClient Control 107. VIS 1205 routes native messages from native ServiceClouds 1218 or 1219, or VEAL-wrapped messages from Virtual Environments1223 to the App 108. VIS 1205 also routes information and data requestsfrom the App 108 to the appropriate Service Cloud 1218 or VirtualEnvironment 1223. VIS 1205 enforces strict positive authentication toauthenticate user and validate commands and requests.

V-Service Management System

The V-Service Management System (VSMS) 1204 is configured to collect alldata reflecting operational status and performance levels of provisionedDisplay Devices 105, VSC 101 systems and applications, and VSC 101itself, to generate alerts, reports and dashboards allowing a serviceoperations team to maintain peak service performance at all time,anticipate service degradation and plan capacity. All components of theservice disclosed by the present invention (Display Device 105, MobileClient App 108, VSC 101 and its corresponding cloud systemsinfrastructure) preferably generate status information on a regularbasis.

The instrumentation is designed with several levels of awareness thatcan be automatically triggered by an internal rule engine. An operatorcan also manually put a system or device on a watch list that willautomatically trigger a higher level of awareness. Depending on thelevel of awareness, the instrumentation agent can send different typesof information to VSMS 1204 ranging from simple heartbeat to alerts ordetailed configuration reports. The remote device sending more detailedinformation along with the standard heartbeat is called “higher level ofawareness” because the central monitoring system is now “aware” of moredetailed information regarding the remote device. VSMS 1204 preferablyuses a correlation engine to detect and streamline cascading conditions,link causes and effects and perform trend analysis. All data and toolsare preferably accessible through secured web services allowingauthorized operators to visualize information and rapidly implementcorrective actions from any web-enabled device. VSMS 1204 can alsoautomatically capture traces and log for audit, capacity planning, andtraining. Finally, VSMS 1204 can allow operators to plan and executesystem upgrades and updates on a granular basis. It enables distributionand installation of software upgrades and updates based on model number,serial number/unique identification code, region or time zone, date ofcommissioning, usage pattern and according to update rules set by users.It also enables software upgrades or updates of the Service cloud andits underlying cloud infrastructure.

VSMS is designed to route all data to and from Apps Virtual Environment1223 within the Service Cloud 101 to Service Operations Managementapplications 1224 that are capable of controlling and monitoring VirtualEnvironments 1223 and their corresponding Client Control 107 userinterface extensions and Display Processor 510 Image Apps. A VEALadapter 1220 is wrapped around the extensions 1222 to Service OperationsManagement applications 1224 that are required to properly manage allresources related to App Images.

FIG. 12B is a block diagram that illustrates functional components ofthe Internet Content Service Cloud 1218, hosting a suite of cloudapplications collectively referred to as the “V-Content Service Cloud”(VCSC) 1218, which operates to facilitate and support the experience ofviewing digital media content on a Display Device and uses the MobileClient Application to, among other functions, control the ServiceOperations 1200 of linked Display Devices 105. The VCSC 1218 may be aprivate cloud hosted by commercial cloud service provider thatpreferably guarantees 99.999% service availability and 100% dataintegrity and recovery, and a commercial Content Distribution Network(CDN) that preferably guarantees 99.999% content delivery. The ServiceCloud 101, VCSC 1218 and CDN preferably provide a demonstrated andaudited secure infrastructure framework involving, account security,network security (protection of access points and transmission), faulttolerant design, business continuity management, change managementcontrol, and physical and environmental security.

The VCSC 1218 preferably comprises a Secure Data and Media StorageSystem (VSSS) 1201, a Provisioning Engine (VPE) 1203, a Social NetworkEngine (VSNE) 1206, a Customer Relationship Management Engine (VCRME)1207, an Advanced Commerce Engine (VCE) 1208, a Digital Media ContentIngestion Engine (VIE) 1209, and an External Content Gateway (VCG) 1210.VCSC 1218 also uses resources from the V-Service Cloud 101 tocommunicate with other elements of the ecosystem, such as theCommunication Controller (ViCC) 1202 to control all communications withDisplay Devices 105 through a secured Primary Internet Connection 1215,the (user) Interface Server (VIS) 1205 to interface with the App 108through a Secondary Internet Connection 1214, and the Service ManagementSystem (VSMS) 1204 to deliver operations control and monitoringcapabilities.

The VCSC 1218 is built on a strong security framework to positivelyidentify, authenticate and protect all user requests coming from the App108 and all communications with Display Devices 105. Preferably allelements of all instances and representations of digital media contentstored in the VCSC 1218 are fully encrypted and protected fromunauthorized access through a strict and granular access controlmechanism that explicitly defines access privileges for eachauthenticated user. Preferable performance and scalabilitycharacteristics of the VCSC 1218 may be provided by its internal securesignaling fabric using the highly extensible XMPP protocol to signalbetween all cloud systems, the App 108, and Display Device 105 embeddedsoftware. Using this signaling fabric, all control, command andreporting communications are routed quickly from origin to destination.Each communication instance is secured through an authentication andintegrity mechanism that allows receiver to positively authenticate thesource and validate the integrity of the data. Hence, in addition tousing a highly secured private cloud infrastructure, preferably allcommunications taking place within or across this private cloud boundaryare protected.

V-Secure Storage System (VSSS)

FIG. 14 is a block diagram that illustrates some the functionalcomponents of the V-Secure Storage System (VSSS) 1201. The VSSS 1201resides in the VCSC 1218. It stores, protects, and manages allcomponents of information or data that is ingested through the IngestionEngine (VIE) 1209. Through VIE 1209, an authorized user can upload itsoriginal digital media content to its VSSS' library 1406 and createrelated and derivative information that is also stored in VSSS 1201.

The VSSS 1201 storage architecture includes four primary storagecomponents. The first component is a Metadata Repository 1402 whichpreferably uses a NOSQL database to store and index all metadata andderived non full resolution digital media representations that areingested, captured otherwise, or automatically generated during theingestion process including derivate media format such as thumbnails andicons. Once the decision is made to make media content items visible inthe online catalog (i.e., available for browsing, searching,previewing/viewing, purchasing and subscribing), then its metadata iscopied to a Commerce Catalog 1403 where is preferably accessible by VPE1203 and VCE 1208. VPE 1203 (which will be discussed later in detail) isalso adapted to access the Key Vault 1704 and its Cypher Key Repository1405 to validate and manage digital media content requests. A secondcomponent, called the Image Blob 1401, is a highly scalable and secureflat file system storing the actual full resolution media content(Still, Motion, Interactive, and App Images) that can be distributed toa Display Device 105 in mezzanine format. A wrapper is preferably usedto permit storage of all types of digital media content (Still Image,Moving Image, Interactive Image, App Image, Digital Frames and DigitalMats) using a single internal representation, thus speeding up accessand transfer and facilitating security enforcement. Together the ImageBlob 1401 and the Metadata Repository 1402 are called “library” 1406.The third component is the Commerce Catalog 1403 that preferably uses anSQL or other known database to store a subset of the library data thatis accessible by VPE 1203 and VCE 1208 for commercial transactions. VPE1203 uses the Key Vault 1704 and its Cypher Key Repository 1405 tovalidate and manage full resolution media content from the Image Blob1401 to Display Devices 105. Finally, the fourth component is theOriginals Archive 1407, which preferably uses the same data structure asthe Image Blob 1401 to preserve the original digital media contentrepresentation for later retrieval and processing if needed. TheOriginals Archive 1407 uses a highly secured but low access speedpartition of the VSSS 1201. Digital media content can be uploaded by anartist to the VCSC 1218 in whatever format was chosen by the artist. TheVIE 1209 receives this file in its original format and normalizes itinto the internal “mezzanine” format that is used to display all digitalimages on the Display Devices disclosed by the present invention.Digital media content ingested by VIE 1209 can be stored in the ImageBlob 1401 in this format as well. However, there is also a need topreserve the artwork or other digital media image in its original formatfor later processing in a different mezzanine format—if a new format isadopted—or simply to give the assurance that original artwork can berestored in its original format. Hence the original artwork is preservedin its original format in the Originals Archive 1407 using the sameinterface file structure as the Image Blob 1401. A fifth component ofthe VSSS 1201, the user Private Libraries 1408, are used to store andmanage Private User Content 2201 that is ingested in the Service Cloud101 to be viewed on Display Devices 101 or shared with the Service Cloudcommunity. Finally, VSMS 1204 has complete secure access to all elementsof VSSS 1201 for management and system administration purpose. Criticalmetadata, full resolution digital media content and original digitalmedia content can be secured using standard asymmetric cryptographywhereby encryption keys are secured in a separate Key Vault 1704 hostedin a separate highly secure private cloud and managed by the CryptoController application 1809 running in a secure partition of the VCSC1218. The same Key Vault 1704 also stores the Cypher Keys 1806 used tore-assemble a higher value digital content item from its particles.

V-Provisioning Engine (VPE)

The V-Provisioning Engine (VPE) 1203 delivers the core functionality fordeploying, provisioning, and delivering the best digital contentexperience to a Display Device. VPE is a rule-based deterministic cloudsoftware application that works with a Display Device 105 and App 108 todeliver media content items in accordance with commercial right rulesand security policies governing their use. VPE 1203 also ensures thatthe experience guidelines defined by the author or creator of a digitalmedia content item are strictly enforced by preventing unauthorizedviewing conditions of digital media content. VPE 1203 is configured tocontrol all aspects of distributing and viewing digital media content ona Display Device, including but not limited to:

(1) Rights: ensuring that a Display Device (and its owner) has acquiredthe rights to store and/or view a digital media content item at a giventime and for a given location;

(2) Orientations, Sizing, and Scaling: making sure that each digitalmedia content item is displayed in accordance with the viewing rules setby its creator, ingestion specialist or curator (display resolution,orientation detected by built-in sensor, etc.);

(3) Framing and Matting: making sure that media content is properlyframed and matted to deliver the best viewing experience in accordancewith the guidelines set by its creator, ingestion specialist, orcurator; and

(4) Interaction: ensuring proper coordination between apps and mediacontent and preventing unauthorized apps from entering the VSC 101 andinteracting with managed or protected content.

VPE 1203 can create and recommend presentation layouts in real-time tocombine several digital media content items (all types) on a singleDisplay Device 105 based on guidelines and limitations dictated by themedia content author or creator, settings from users and internalprovisioning rules. These layouts can be static, change over timefollowing a specific pattern, or change over time driven by an externaldata source (e.g., temperature).

VPE 1203 also incorporates complete Digital Rights Management (DRM) 1304capability to manage rights to access, load, and view each digital mediacontent item registered with the VCSC 1218. VPE's DRM capabilitystrictly limits the number of instances of a digital media content itemthat can be distributed or viewed at any given time. VPE's DRM 1304 usestenographical watermark (invisible) to keep an unbreakable trace of allV-managed digital media content items. The DRM 1304 is preferably usedto create, manage and deliver a digital Certification of Authenticitythat replaces the traditional COA that is common in the art world. TheDRM 1304 preferably provides an unbroken chain of ownership and locationfrom initial content ingestion to current ownership and active locationis maintained and can be consulted at any time through the App 108. Thisdigital COA provides authorized users with specific details about aspecific digital media content item like identity of people ororganizations involved in production or creation, location and time ofrelease (production completion), exact name of the item, exactdimensions, resolution color depth and other representation attributes,name and qualifications of the individual who ingested and authenticatedthe item, and reference sites, books or other resources that containrelated information about the item. Digital COAs are preferablyencrypted and locked to current owner.

V-Social Network Engine (VSNE)

The V-Social Network Engine (VSNE) 1206 enables all social networkingfunctions accessible through the App 108 user interface both internaland external to the VSC 101. In addition, VSNE 1206 provides a suite oftools to control and manage all aspects of social networking activities.It can keep a detailed trace of all activities for audit, trend andcohort analysis and detection. It can also provide granular control toselectively activate, disable or filter any social networking functionsfor any item or group of items in the commercial catalog. Also, it hasthe capability to monitor all social networking channels to detectkeywords or combination of keywords and automatically send alerts, posta reply or quarantine information.

As can be seen in FIG. 22, a key component of VSNE 1206 is its SocialDistribution System 1206A that enables a user to upload private picturesand videos 2201 to a private library 1408 in VSSS 1201 and provides suchPrivate User Content (PUC) 2204 for sharing and viewing in a securemanner under strict control of the user. To ensure security, unprocessedprivate content 2201 is preferably two-key encrypted, encoded andnormalized before it is uploaded to the Service Cloud 101. Privatecontent owner PCO retrieves a private key 2205 to encrypt both the fullresolution PUC 2206 and its lower resolution watermarked preview version2207. The encryption key exchange is preferably managed through a ThirdParty Crypto Key Management Service 2202 to ensure that encryption keyspreferably never touch the Service Cloud 101 un-encrypted thus denyingthe Service Cloud 101 from ever decoding PUC 2206 or 2207 without theexplicit contribution of the owner PCO.

Once fully ingested and stored in the private user library 1408, VSNE1206 enables sharing of PUC 1206 or 1207 with other users. Uponpositively accepting the receipt of a shared PUC item, the recipientpreferably obtains a key pointer directly from the PUC item owner andretrieves its private key 2203 directly from the Third Party Crypto KeyManagement Service 2202 to preview a watermarked version of the PUC 2208without ever touching the Service Cloud 101. The same mechanism ispreferably used to send the full resolution version of PUC 2209 to theDisplay Device 105. Once delivered to the recipient, the PUC ispreferably managed by recipient like any other digital media contentitem. However shared PUC viewing and re-sharing rights are preferablydefined by the PUC owner, encoded in the PUC Ingestion 2204, andpreferably automatically enforced by Social Distribution System 1206A ofVSNE 1206. These rights define distribution and viewing conditions suchas time period for which the private content is available, the type ofdevice on which the content can be viewed, and redistributionlimitations. PUC owner can also cancel viewing and/or re-sharing rightcollectively or individually at any time. The combination of encryptionkeys managed by a third party service and encoded sharing constraintslimits and restricts distribution of PUC within the social network.

V-CRM Engine (VCRME)

The V-CRM Engine (VCRME) 1207 is a highly secure cloud application thatkeeps track of all information pertaining to customers and users,registered devices and partners. For customers and users, VCRME 1207 isadapted to keep track of all account information such as name, contactinformation, usage history, relationships to other customers and users,usage preferences, content and ownership and accessibility and accesscredentials. VCRME 1207 also keeps track of all registered DisplayDevices 105, their relationships to customer accounts and authenticationinformation. Finally VCRME 1207 preferably also manages all dataallowing partners, including gallerists, independent artists and contentsuppliers, to access resources, content and devices according to theiraccess privileges.

V-Commerce Engine (VCE)

The V-Commerce Engine (VCE) 1208 preferably enables the entiretransaction cycle allowing users to sell, buy or loan digital mediacontent that is managed by the cloud service. VCE 1208 facilitatesbrowsing and search for digital media content items through traditionalkeyword search and an analog tag search engine that identifies contentitems by a series of tags that have a value of 1 to 100 thus allowing auser to incorporate less tangible nuances in its search criteria. VCE1208 works with payment gateways to settle the transaction and ensurethat proper payment is completed either through an automated credit cardtransaction or manual invoicing and reconciliation. VCE 1208 alsoenforces commercial transaction rules by ensuring that royalties andcommissions are registered and all parties are properly notified andcredited or debited. Finally VCE 1208 is preferably configured toenforce digital rights of ownership and consuming (viewing) by ensuring,as a minimum:

1) Ownership: ensuring that ownership is properly transferred andrecorded and ownership history is properly updated;

2) Uniqueness and Viewing Rights: ensuring that distribution rules suchas number of authorized copies, concurrent viewing and duration ofviewing set by the originator of the content are enforced;

3) Trading rights: ensuring that trading rules determining whether adigital media content item can be resold, pricing and other commercialterms and conditions are strictly enforced; and

4) Protection: managing mechanisms that protect the authenticity anduniqueness of all digital media content items and trace potentialunauthorized access and enforces visible watermarking of all mediacontent that is displayed in the App, and secure transfer, storage, andtraceability of all digital media content that is distributed to aDisplay Device.

V-Digital Media Content Ingestion Engine (VIE)

As seen in FIGS. 15 and 16, the V-Digital Media Content Ingestion Engine(VIE) 1209 is an automated workflow engine configured to controlimportation and adaptation of digital media content of all types (StillImages, Motion Images, Interactive Images, and App Images) into thelibrary 1602 of the V-Secure Storage System (VSSS) 1201. Depending onthe type and volume of content to import, VIE 1209 offers two primarymechanisms: web user interface driven import tools for low volume ingest1500B and an XML-based API for high volume ingest 1500A. VIE 1209 canalso provide a user interface to allow an ingestion specialist tocomplete origination, curation, commercial and technical metadata aswell as metadata that is specifically used by the search engine.Finally, VIE 1209 can provide access to a suite of visual editing toolsto modify the way a digital media content item is displayed onembodiments of the Display Device of the present invention. Using thesetools, an authorized user can interactively adjust contrast, defaultbrightness, color saturation and black/white levels while watching theimpact of these changes on a device display in real-time. All dataderived from ingested content or created during the ingestion processcan preferably be stored in the VSSS 1201. During this process, a numberof validation gates are created to allow various authorities to approveartistic, curation, technical and commercial information.

The Ingestion Workflow of the present invention, seen in FIG. 15,preferably uses unique algorithms to maximize the appearance (audio andvideo) value of content being viewed on a Display Device. It analysesthe visual and/or audio content to identify critical viewing elementsand optimum sightline, and makes adjustments (such as cropping, scaling,or altering of images, including color enhancement andtranslation/rotation) to maximize the viewing experience. Eachmodification can preferably be undone, and a sequential list of recentmodifications is preferably available, linked to the media content andsaved on the Service Cloud 101.

VIE 1209 provides a web-based interactive authoring tool to supportcreation of Interactive Images. Using these tools, an authorized usercan create Interactive Images by importing Still and Motion Images froma library and adding interactivity using a series of pre-definedinteractivity profiles. Each profile defines the trigger and Imagereaction. Triggers can be time based, driven from an external data feedor driven from an interactive app that reacts to the presence of anImage. Image reaction can change any aspect of the image or trigger achange in the interactive app. The interactive authoring tool alsoprovides a simulator to test the Interactive Image. Once completed,metadata can be created and validated and the Interactive Image ispackaged and stored in a VSSS library 1602.

Using Still and Motion Images 1601 stored in VSSS library 1602, acreator can use the V-Creative Studio (VCS) 1603 and V-SoftwareDevelopment Kit (VSDK) 1604 to create or modify Interactive Images andApp Images respectively. The VCS 1603 provides an integrated userinterface to access a suite of tools including an (1) interactive visualeditor, (2) an annotation and text editing tool, (3) a visual scriptinguser interface for the interactive Image mobile app, (4) a visualscripting user interface to create new connectors with Display Devicesor external data sources and, (5) a toolbox of existing external datasource connectors.

The interactive visual editor provides a highly intuitive user interfaceto select, import and modify still and motion Images, import or createand edit graphics elements, create static and dynamic layouts andcollages including overlays and transparencies and synchronize allvisual and/or audio elements with external data sources usingconnectors. The annotation and text editing tool provides a powerfulsuite of tools to create, morph, and animate visual text elements. Theresulting visual and/or audio elements can be used on a Display Device105 or within the Interactive Image App 1605B depending of the type ofinteractivity that is required. Interactive Image App 1605B can be addedon to the App 108—or be packaged as separate apps linked to the maincontrol App 108—to allow a user to interact with and control interactiveimages on a Display Device 105. Using one of the default InteractiveImage App containers as foundation, the visual scripting tool allows auser to rapidly create scripts using a close derivate of JavaScriptadapted to the context of Interactive Images; the script controls theinteraction and synchronization between the mobile app and the visualand/or audio content displayed on a Display Device. Finally the samevisual script editor can also be used to create new connectors or modifyexisting connectors from the VSSS library 1602 to bind external datasources and events with the Interactive Image mobile App and relatedvisual content. An Interactive Image Simulator 1605 allows interactiveimage creators to troubleshoot their Interactive Image creation beforeperforming final tests on a real Display Devices 105 in sandbox mode1606. “Sandbox Mode” refers to staging a software system in anenvironment that closely mimics the real production environment forpre-production readiness texting. It is between the product developmenttesting environment and actual production environment. In the context ofthe present invention, the Sandbox Mode 1606 refers to one or severalDisplay Devices 105 that are connected to a “pre-production” test cloud(sandbox cloud) 1609 to test it in a real environment without the riskof corrupting the actual Service Cloud 101. This “sandbox” cloud 1609preferably assists with evaluating and, possibly, troubleshootingreadiness issues, and can preferably be used to collect information onthe interactive or app Image and make sure that meets all of the releasecriteria. Finally, a creator is asked to provide the metadata 1607required to complete the registration of a new Interactive Image mediacontent item to VSSS library 1602.

The VSDK 1604 provides similar capabilities for the creation of AppImages. The VSDK 1604 includes (1) a complete Android IDE with specificresource libraries, (2) a suite of connectors to handle Display Device105 resources and (3) a suite of connectors to handle external datasources. As for the VCS 1603, the IDE of the VSDK 1604 allows developerto create or modify existing connectors. VSDK 1604 also incorporates anApp simulator 1608 and a sandbox where a real Display Device is tightlylinked to VSDK 1604 for rapid evolution and troubleshooting iterations.Finally VSDK 1604 is requested to provide metadata 1610 before a new AppImage is stored in VSSS library 1602.

VIE 1209 provides access to the VSDK 1604 to allow App Image creators todevelop and test their App Images. VSDK 1604 is largely based on acommercial Android IDE whose libraries and other resources have beenmodified to limit access to iC-DPC resources only. Additional librariesare also made available to access VCSC 1218 resources including “livedata feed” connections.

As seen in FIG. 15, VCSC 1218 incorporates an automated workflow foringesting digital media content, adapting the content to internalstandards, and securely saving it in designated storage space in theService Cloud. The workflow preferably accepts most standardized mediaformats commonly in use. The adaptation process normalizes the contentto facilitate access by various functions of the Mobile Client App 108and Display Devices 105, such as browsing or downloading. The workflowpreferably provides content creators and ingestion specialists withcheckpoints to ensure the quality of the normalized content andtraceability to approval authorities.

VIE 1209 preferably supports two types of ingestion process: Low VolumeIngestion 1500B, using an interactive web interface, and High VolumeIngestion 1500A using an XML-based API. After initial access controllogin 1518, the web interface allows the user to select one or severalmedia files 1501 in a wide range of standard formats to upload to theVIE system where it is queued. All media files are encrypted at thesource, before being uploaded and queued in the VCSC 1218. Capturedcontent is first validated 1502 to detect format or content defects andmalware and obtain content confirmation from the owner. Then validatedoriginal content can be normalized 1503 to create a number ofderivatives representations (e.g., thumbnail) and transcoded to internalmezzanine format and distribution format for full resolution display ona Display Device. Mezzanine and distribution content is adjusted 1504for calibrated white, black, and color saturation value to provide aconsistent viewing experience across all Display Device viewing,including aspect ratio, orientation, size, and scale are adjusted todeliver a consistent viewing experience. Artists also have access tointeractive tools 1505 that allow them to make final adjustment directlyon the Display Device. All ingested media content is protected 1506:lesser resolution media content representations are preferablywatermarked while full resolution mezzanine media content is protectedthrough the process of dissecting content into particles 1507 presentedin FIG. 17.

All ingested content is managed by a digital rights management systemwhich controls access and keeps a persistent ownership trace of eachcommercial digital media content item that is ingested into the VCSC1218 through encoding, encryption and bi-univocal linkage between acontent instance, a customer account, and a Display Device. The digitalright management system also provides strictly controlled tools tomodify and revoke credentials and securely remove all imprints ofselected digital media content. VIE 1209 captures and creates a largequantity of metadata to properly describe and index ingested content.Some metadata is captured directly from the ingested file 1501, whileother used-defined metadata 1508 is specifically requested. VIE 1209 canpreferably also automatically detect and create metadata 1509 related tothe technical specifications of the ingested media content item (e.g.,size, resolution, aspect ratio). Once all metadata is created, then VIE1209 performs a complete consistency and validation scan 1510 beforesubmitting all data for final user approval 1519. User can pause andresume the ingestion workflow at any time without any loss ofinformation.

The final step before submission 1512 of all data to VSSS 1201 is to askuser to accept legal terms and conditions 1511. Digital media contentstored in VSSS 1201 can be regularly accessed and modified or augmentedby various specialists to perform product management 1513, curation 1514and accounting 1515 tasks. Content and metadata stored in VSSS 1201 isalso accessed by VCS 1603 and VSDK 1604 to create and modify Interactiveand App Images.

High Volume Ingestion 1500A is initially captured through an XML-basedAPI to allow for high volume and high speed ingestion directly fromcontent suppliers' own content repository. This ingestion workflow issimilar to the Low Volume Ingestion 1500B with the exception of humanintervention steps (original validation and interactive adjustment)until final validation in order to streamline the automated ingestionprocess.

V-External Content Gateway (VCG)

The V-External Content Gateway (VCG) 1210 enables near real-timetransfer of authorized digital media content from an origination pointoutside of the VSC 101 to a Display Device. Under proper commercialarrangement with an external digital media content catalog, a user couldbrowse and purchase a media content item that is not ingested in theService Cloud and push it to a Display Device in near real-time. VCG1210 is preferably pre-configured to gain access to the external catalogand process the media content item. By opposition to other digital mediacontent that is managed by the Service Cloud, external media contentitems are stored in the user library and fully protected by the digitalright management system.

Content Service Cloud Architecture.

Shown in FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C, the Content Service Cloud 1218 uses acombination of storage mechanisms to ensure quick access to data,protect all data and deliver peak performance at all scales. The dashedlines represent communication done between cloud components andendpoints done via SSL; dotted lines represent communication doneinternally within the cloud; and solid lines represent non-secure http.Additionally, FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C are provided with letter labelsA-I corresponding to the communication lines connecting the componentsof each of these Figures together and how the components of each Figureinteract with components of the other Figures. Each of the FIGS. 13A,13B, and 13C represents one of three components of the architecture ofthe Content Service Cloud 1218 of the present invention.

With an expected growth to millions of assets, a cloud preferablycombines highly scalable server capacity and secured storage. Greatsynergy, performance, and security are preferably achieved by havingservers and storage in the same cloud. As a result, scaling horizontallyis as easy as adding a server to the cluster. This database is alsoclosely integrated with a full text search engine that can handle fulltext searching of metadata of millions of assets. The CRM 1305 is aseries of http service-based apps with each service having one focuswhich can keep track of all users, assets, devices, and controllers.Each service will follow the same scalability, security, and accessmodel. With an http load balancer on the front and a cluster of backendvirtualized server instances handling individual requests. By keepingthe CRM 1305 within the cloud, the core architecture is independent of athird party SaaS e-commerce engine 1301. The App 108 preferably providesa native e-commerce user interface by using a third party

SaaS application REST API 1306 which allows App 108 to browse theproduct catalog and complete the entire purchases cycle. An XMPPprotocol is preferably used for communication between App 108 andDisplay Device 105, which delivers blazingly fast, highly scalable, andsecure performance in near real-time. XMPP Servers 1307 (“JabberBackend”) are clusterable to handle scaling, and TLS is supported out ofthe box. Middleware handles communications between the Cloud CRM 1301and endpoints (Display Device 105 and App 108). This middleware routesmessages from the CRM 1305 (HTTP) and translates to XMPP for delivery tothe endpoint (App 108/Display Device 105). For securing digital mediacontent, an industry standard DRM solution 1304 is preferably used toprovide hardware based decryption libraries for the iC-DPC crypto coreand the ability to perform encryption in VCSC 1218.

Protection of Higher Value Digital Content

Systems and methods exist to deliver a complete solution for durable andsecure commerce of higher value digital content that require furtherprotection. Systems and methods are provided that aim to guarantee thevalue of higher value digital content, which includes limited edition,high value digital posters, paintings, photos, videos, decorations andother visual and/or audio content (including MSO, broadcast, andcontent); and by extension any digital document, through durability,uniqueness and authenticity, integrity, privacy, and traceability.

Higher value digital content 1810 may be managed, ensured to be durable,authenticated and protected through various mechanisms, includingpreferably by: (1) using Cypher Keys 1806 to encode the instructions tore-assemble dissected higher value digital content particles 1507; (2)ensuring that content-ready-for-display is identical to referencecontent through a series of integrity markers 1803; and (3) slicing eachparticle 1507 of the dissected higher value digital content 1810 into“n” slices 1802 that are dispersed across various storage locations inthe Service Cloud 101 using dispersed storage, such that the eachparticle of higher value digital content 1810 can be recovered using “m”slices out of “n” where n>m.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram that illustrates the process of ingestinghigher value digital content 1810 and dissecting the same for secureencryption and storage. A higher value digital content item 1810 can beanalyzed and instantaneously dissected in the VCSC 1218 into “p”particles 1507 while a Cypher Key K_(I1) is created and stored in thesecured Key Vault 1704 and its Cypher Key Repository 1405, located in asecure partition of the VCSC 1218. Each particle 1507 preferablyincorporates a unique Integrity Marker 1803 that is used to authenticateand validate the integrity of the particle 1507 during its lifecycle.Each particle is then preferably pushed to a Storage App 1706 using adispersed storage model 1707. Each particle can then be sliced into “n”slices 1802, wherein n>1, that are dispersed across specific locationsof the Service Cloud 101. This provides two separate and distinct levelsof protection for a piece of higher value digital content 1810. Theparticles 1507 then preferably require the Cypher Key 1806 forre-assembly of the higher value digital content 1810 from a plurality ofslices 1802.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram that illustrates the operations of a CypherKey for re-assembly of digital content from content particles 1507. TheCypher Key 1806 will be described in further detail shortly. UponRequest 1801 from a Display Device 105 to display a High Value DigitalContent item, ViCC 1202, working with the Crypto Controller 1809, pullsslices 1802 stored in dispersed storage in the VCSC 1218 and sends themto a Display Device where particles 1507 are re-assembled and stored inseparate secure containers 1805 on the Display Device. Particles'integrity and authenticity can be validated by comparing their integritymarker 1803 with reference markers. At display time, the High ValueDigital Content item can be re-constructed from its slices 1802 andparticles 1507 using the Cypher Key 1806 pulled from the Key Vault 1704and activated using the activation code 1808 provided in real-time bythe Crypto-Controller 1809. The same process takes place each time theHigh Value Digital Content item is displayed on a Display Device andpreferably occurs almost instantaneously so that there is preferablyalmost no lag time between a user dragging-and-dropping an image on hisClient Control 107 into a representation of a Display Device and thatitem's appearance on the corresponding Display Device.

The Crypto Controller 1809 is also part of the VPE 1209. The CryptoController 1809 is designed as a secured application running in asecured portion of the VCSC 1218 to handle Cypher Key 1806 requests fromthe various devices. It preferably authenticates the device requestingaccess to a Cypher Key 1806 using its unique identification code andregistration information and manages the primary and recovery CypherKeys attached to each High Value Digital Content item. The CryptoController 1809 also manages pre-formatted files stored in the Key Vault1704 as well as the asymmetric encryption keys used throughout thesystem.

From the moment the original content is ingested into the VCSC 1218until it is viewed on a Display Device, higher value digital content1810 is dissected into “n” distinct particles that are securedseparately during the ingestion process until they are re-assembled on aDisplay Device using the proper Cypher Key 1806. The number of particles1507 is a function of the size and morphology of the original highervalue digital content 1810. A single file of higher value digitalcontent 1810 is preferably dissected in no less than 5 particles, eachof preferably no more than 200 KB. Multiple files of higher valuedigital content are preferably sliced in no less than “m”×3 particles ofpreferably no more than 200 KB, where “m” is the number of files. Theslicing process ensures that each resulting slice is meaningless byitself and does not represent a legible portion of the higher valuedigital content 1810.

During the dissection process, an encoded reference marker is introducedin each particle and referenced by the Cypher Key 1806 to re-assemble acomplete display representation of a higher value digital content inclear on a Display Device. Preferably, a Cypher Key 1806 is a compactand encrypted hexadecimal sequence describing (1) the method forreassembling content particles, (2) the minimum number of particlesrequired to have a complete reassembly, and (3) the type of cypheringused to protect each particle. Each Cypher Key 1806 is unique and itsencoding changes with each key generation. The ingestion processgenerates as many unique Cypher Keys as there are authorized copies orinstances of higher value digital content 1810. For example, if a stillpicture is to be distributed in 300 copies, then 300 unique Cypher Keysare generated. Each Cypher Key 1806 is preferably uniquely encoded andencrypted to be traceable to its original at any time.

Cypher Keys are initially stored in a Key Vault 1704 that is stored in asecured partition of the Secured Storage System (VSSS) 1201 until theacquirer of a higher value digital content 1810 item downloads thecontent to its registered device and “consumes” an original Cypher Key.At this point a Recovery Key K_(I2) is generated in case the DisplayDevice is destroyed and there is a need to create a clone. The RecoveryKey K_(I2) can be left in the Key Vault 1704 or moved to a new storagelocation. Content Keys are stored separately from the particles and areencrypted.

Once an original Cypher Key is consumed and downloaded to a device, itis re-encoded with the unique identification of the targeted device toensure that the higher value digital content 1810 item is now securelylocked and traceable to that device. The Cypher Key 1806 is used by theiC-DPC 500 to request a number of particles that is sufficient tore-assemble a complete display representation of the higher valuedigital content item. Each content particle 1804 can be stored in anencoded and encrypted container 1805 that is uniquely tied to a singledevice to ensure that the higher value digital content 1810 item is nowsecurely locked and traceable to that device. These containers 1805cannot be opened in an environment that does not authenticate thehosting device correctly. Containers 1805 preferably incorporate anobfuscation algorithm to completely remove all traces of itself and itscontent if tempering is detected.

Once a higher value digital content 1810 item is re-assembled on adevice, a series of checks is performed periodically to ensure that thedisplay representation is identical in all aspects to the originalresulting from the ingestion process. This process is performed using aseries of Integrity Markers 1803 that were created during the ingestionprocess to authenticate the re-assembled display representation of thecontent item and ensure that its data representation is identical to thereferenced original.

Access to higher value digital content 1810 is ensured for long periodsof time (preferably in excess of 75 years) through a combination ofphysical storage location, physical storage technology, logical storagedispersion and software application preventing degradation of digitalcontent integrity through digital erosion (or digital rotting). Eachcontent particle is (1) sliced into “n” slices that are stored using adispersed object model such that each particle can be recovered using“m” slices out of “n” where n>m; (2) each slice being stored on aphysical device leveraging SSD technology and low level bit-rottingprevention technology; (3) SSDs installed at different locationsselected for their extreme business continuity capabilities, (4) thedispersed storage management system continuously evaluating the state ofeach slice to detect bit corruption or rotting and re-creating corruptedor decaying data as needed the information if needed; and (5) thedispersed storage management system continuously monitoring slices andstorage devices to optimize slice distribution and preservation.

One or several higher value digital content 1810 items may be displayedon one or several Display Devices 105 linked to the same Customeraccount owning the content. The App's intuitive user interface hides thecomplexity of setting up a Display Device to display higher valuedigital content item(s). Several uses are supported: (1) Single devicedisplaying one higher value digital content item; (2) Multiple devicesdisplaying a single higher value digital content item; (3) Single Devicedisplaying multiple higher value digital content items; and (4) Changeof Ownership of higher value digital content.

Single Device Displaying One Higher Value Digital Content Item

The following is an example of the process executed to configure thedevice to display the higher value digital content once a device (D₁) isgranted access to a specific instance of a higher value digital contentitem (I₁):

(1) The Crypto Controller 1809 initiates download of the Cypher KeyK_(I1) from the Key Vault 1704 that is part of the V-Provisioning Engine(VPE) 1203 to the device D₁—the Crypto Controller is a dedicatedsub-system to oversee the protection, provisioning, storage, privacy,maintenance, and control of higher value digital content. It ispartially “opened,” re-encoded with the unique identification of thedevice, and kept in its Key Vault to lock I₁ to the D₁ permanently,thereby creating Media Content item I_(1D1).

(2) K_(I1) is deleted from the Key Vault.

(3) Before the Cypher Key is downloaded, a Recovery Key (K_(I2)) isgenerated and activated. It is stored at a location to be dictated bythe profile of the customer account owning the higher value digitalcontent instance (default is a separate partition of the Key Vault).

(4) The Display Device uses the information contained in K_(I1) todownload required I₁ slices.

(5) Once higher value digital content slices are securely stored on D₁then D₁ receives the Activation Code 1808 from the Crypto Controller1809 to complete its Cypher Key. With this Activation Code, K_(I1) isnow complete and able to re-assemble the digital content.

(6) The device D₁ processes K_(I1) to re-assemble the higher valuedigital content “just-in-time” for consumption.

If the device is somehow destroyed, then the Recovery Key K_(I2) is usedto re-assemble the higher value digital content instance I₁ on a newproperly authorized and registered Display Device (D₂) as follows:

(7) The destroyed D₁ device is flagged as “missing” by the CryptoController and a notification is sent to the registered account linkedto the device to obtain confirmation. K_(I1) is then de-activated.

(8) Upon receiving confirmation, K_(I1) is permanently destroyed andK_(I2) becomes the active Cypher Key.

(9) Once D₂ is granted access to the same instance of a higher valuedigital content item (I₁), D₂ undertakes steps 1 to 6 (above) initiallyperformed by D₁.

(10) A second Recovery Key (K_(I3)) is generated and stored at alocation to be dictated by the profile of the customer account owningthe higher value digital content instance.

Multiple Devices Displaying a Single Higher Value Digital Content Item

The owner of a higher value digital content instance may want to displaythe same content on more than one device linked to its Customer account.In this case, the Crypto Controller 1809 allows the higher value digitalcontent to be consumed on more than one Display Device at any given timethrough a carefully designed process, an example of which follows:

(1) The Crypto Controller initiates downloading of the Cypher Key K_(I1)from the Key Vault that is part of the Service Cloud to the first deviceD₁. It is partially “opened,” re-encoded with the unique identificationof the device, and kept in its Key Vault to lock I_(1D1) to the D₁permanently.

(2) K_(I1) is deleted from the Key Vault.

(3) Before the Cypher Key is downloaded, a Recovery Key (K_(I2)) isgenerated and activated. It is stored at a location to be dictated bythe profile of the customer account owning the higher value digitalcontent instance (default is a separate partition of the Key Vault).

(4) The first Display Device D₁ uses the information contained in K_(I1)to download required I₁ slices.

(5) Once higher value digital content slices are securely stored on D₁then D₁ receives the Activation Code 1808 from the Crypto Controller1809 to complete its Cypher Key. With this Activation Code 1808, K_(I1)is now complete and able to re-assemble the digital content.

(6) The first Display Device D₁ processes K_(I1) to re-assemble thehigher value digital content “just-in-time” for consumption.

(7) A user decides to consume higher value digital content instance I₁on a second Display Device D₂.

(8) D₁'s Recovery Key K_(I2) is retrieved by the Crypto Controller 1809to generate a unique K_(I1D2) Cypher Key. K_(I2) is then returned to itsstorage location.

(9) K_(I1D2) is downloaded to D₂. It is partially “opened,” re-encodedwith the unique identification of D₂, and kept in its Key Vault topermanently lock I_(1D2) to the D₂.

(10) K_(I1D2) is deleted from the Key Vault.

(11) Before the Cypher Key is downloaded, a Recovery Key (K_(I2D2)) isgenerated and stored at a location to be dictated by the profile of thecustomer account owning the higher value digital content instance.

(12) The device uses the information contained in K_(I2D2) to downloadrequired I₁ slices.

(13) Once higher value digital content slices are securely stored on D₂then D₂ receives the Activation Code 1808 from the Crypto Controller1809 to complete its Cypher Key. With this Activation Code 1808,K_(I1D2) is now complete and able to reassemble the digital content.

(14) The second device processes K_(I1D2) to re-assemble the highervalue digital content “just-in-time” for displaying.

Single Device Displaying Multiple Higher Value Digital Content Items

A higher value digital content owner may want to consume more than onehigher value digital content on the same device either using apre-defined or manual control. The following carefully designed processis executed to add higher value digital content instance J₁ to device D₁that is already containing content I₁:

(1) D₁ receives Cypher Key K_(J1) for higher value digital contentinstance J₁.

(2) D₁ validates whether both higher value digital content I₁ and J₁ canbe stored concurrently with the information encoded in K_(J1) (i.e.,whether there is enough storage space available for both).

(3) If J₁ can reside concurrently with I₁, then D₁ uses the same processas outlined above to securely store J₁ on D₁. Cypher Keys and contentparticles are containerized separately on D₁.

(4) If D₁ can't handle I₁ and J₁ concurrently, then I₁ particles arepermanently deleted from D₁ to make room for J₁. K_(I1) is kept on D₁ toaccelerate a future request to return to I₁. D₁ uses the same process asoutlined above to securely store J₁ on D₁. Cypher Keys and particles arecontainerized separately on D₁

Change of Ownership of Higher Value Digital Content

To enable commerce of higher value digital content, Display Devices areconfigured to execute a carefully designed process when an active highervalue digital content item changes ownership. Assuming the previous casewhere Display Device D₁ stores both I₁ and J₁ and the Customer accountowning I₁ sells its I₁ instance to another Customer account, then thefollowing is an example of a process which preferably takes place:

(1) K_(I1) is automatically de-activated (i.e., Activation Code 1808encoded in K_(I1) is revoked).

(2) D₁ is instructed to delete all traces of I₁ slices (containerized).

(3) D₁ generates a destruction code DC_(I1) from K_(I1) before deletingall traces of K_(I1).

(4) D₁ sends DC_(I1) to Crypto Controller 1809 to confirm annihilationof I₁ on D₁.

Displaying Digital Visual Content for Art Exhibits and Other CommercialVenues

The Display Device 105 of the present invention can also be used todisplay Controlled Visual Content with or without audio, such as digitalarts, digital signage, and other higher value digital visual and/oraudio content in the context of art exhibits or other uses where a largenumber of Display Devices 105 are desired to be centrally managed.Digital art exhibits and similar uses lack a reliable, affordable,secure, and normalized solution for easily deploying higher valuedigital content 1810 on a number of devices distributed across a closednetwork. An Exhibit Server 1901 provides a turnkey solution for digitalcurators, exhibit managers or operator of large public venues seeking acomplete solution to display digital content collections. The ExhibitServer 1901 preferably incorporates a number, but not necessarily all,of the functions that are otherwise provided by the Content ServiceCloud 1218 in order to remove dependency on a broadband connection andreduce time to display a new digital media content item. It can alsoexceptionally be used to keep ingested media content items in localstorage.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram that illustrates the general architecture ofthe Art Exhibit and Large Venue System. The Art Exhibit and Large VenueSystem 1900 includes an Exhibit Server 1901 that is made of the SpeedCache 1902 and optional local VSSS storage 1903, optional StreamingServer 1904 and a number of Display Devices 105 connected through asecured WiFi network. The Speed Cache 1902 is made of a subset 1906 ofVCSC 1218 servers and high-speed storage 1907 that work together todeliver content to Display Devices 105 located on a local network fasterthan if content was pulled directly from the VSC 101 over a publicInternet connection 1909. The Speed Cache 1902 of the Exhibit Server1901 hosts ViCC 1912, VPE 1913, VIS 1914, VSMS 1915, and a reducedversion of VCE 1916 locally to provide full display and managementcapability without a permanent connection 102 to the VCSC 1218. The ArtExhibit System 1901 can also be used to ingest and store content locallyusing an Ingestion Engine 1209; in this case the optional local VSSSstorage 1903 is required. Local VSSS storage 1903 replicates the sametopology and equivalent security configuration as the VSSS 1201.

A specialized user interface 1910 to preferably control all aspects ofthe ingestion, management of displays and management of digital mediacontent is provided and optimized for tablet and standard browsers. Itpreferably combines individual display controls similar to the App 108with the capability to monitor and control a large number of displayswith functions such as preset push of content to all displays or presettrigger of playlists for each display with one action. It alsopreferably provides controls of the ingestions process and severalmonitoring capabilities to rapidly identify and troubleshoot issues.

The Exhibit Server 1901 incorporates a Speed Cache Server 1902 combinedwith an optional media Streaming Server 1904 to send and to managehigher value digital content 1810 on a large number of devices installedon the closed network where the Speed Cache Server 1902 is installed. ASpeed Cache Server 1902 is an intermediary storage solution whichpreferably accelerates the display process of digital content stored inthe cloud on local devices, and is preferably used when Internetconnection is too slow or digital art items are too large causingsignificant delays between a request to display a specific digital artitem and the actual viewing on a device. The Speed Cache Server 1902 isdesigned as a secure server using the same security and protectionmechanisms designed for protecting digital media content stored on theService Cloud, i.e., dissecting media content into particles 1507 usingCypher Keys 1806 to reconstruct higher value digital content 1810 usingIntegrity Markers 1803 to validate authenticity and integrity andrecreating corrupted particles when needed.

The Streaming Server 1904 is used for situations where digital mediacontent is not allowed to be stored on each unit for legal or securityreasons or new and very large digital media content items must bepresented simultaneously and immediately on one or several units withoutpre-fetching time. In this case, the Speed Cache 1902 will use anoptional Streaming Server 1904 to stream visual and/or audio content inreal-time to designated units. The option to use a streaming serverinstead of the standard upload-and-display model can be configured by anArt Exhibit or Large Venue manager or operator.

The Exhibit Server 1901 is not a persistent storage solution; itpreferably works with the Service Cloud 101 that continues to delivercritical services such as the Cypher Key Repository 1405 of the KeyVault 1704, Cypher Key Activation Codes 1808, and general log, tracesand history for external audits. Hence a network connection to theService Cloud 101 is required to obtain Cypher Keys 1806 from the KeyVault 1704 when a new higher value digital content item is desired to bedisplayed.

The Exhibit Server 1901 also preferably incorporates an ingestion engineto provide the capability to capture new digital media content items andstore them locally. The user has the option to keep the ingested digitalmedia and metadata in the Service Cloud 101 or stored in an (optional)local VSSS-like storage unit 1903. However, encryption keys and othersecurity services are still provided by the Service Cloud at all time.The Exhibit Server 1901 provides other services such as catalog, search,playlist editor and usage report generator to facilitate deployment andmanagement of medium to large size digital art exhibit. A speciallydesigned mobile app 1910 connected to the local Exhibit Serverfacilitates setting-up, configuring, operating, and managing a completedigital art exhibit.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that variouschanges may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elementswithout departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular feature or material tothe teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof.Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to theparticular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will includeall embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A case for a display device comprising a displayscreen configured to display digital content, and a structural assembly,secured to the rear face of the display screen, the case comprising: amain body; one or more handles, connected to said main body; and alocking mechanism, configured to releasably secure said main body to thedisplay device; wherein said main body is configured to couple to anddecouple from the display device to provide structural rigidity to thedisplay device during transportation and handling; wherein said mainbody is configured to engage, surround, and protect at least theperimeter of the display device; and wherein said one or more handlesare disposed at a central position of said main body with respect tosaid locking mechanism.
 18. A case as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidengagement includes protecting the display device on all sides.
 19. Acase as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body is configured tocover the display screen of the display device.
 20. A case as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said main body is configured not to cover thestructural assembly.
 21. A case as claimed in claim 1, wherein thedimensions of said main body correspond to the dimensions of the displaydevice to securely hold the display screen.